The Road Trip
by thisvexesme
Summary: Ruby loves Weiss, yet Weiss doesn't know it. Weiss loves Ruby, yet Ruby does not know. And now, trapped for 4 straight days in a truck driving across the continent, they both want to come out the other side in the other's arms.
1. Chapter 1: The Road Trip

Chapter 1

 _Five years after the Fall_

Ruby Rose stepped from her front door onto her snow-brushed front steps. She adjusted the duffle bag which hung from her shoulder and locked her front door. The small bungalow was quaint, sweet, and most importantly, affordable. Ruby paused on her porch for a moment and re-tied her red scarf a little tighter around her nose. She walked down the driveway to her prized possession; a vintage burgundy (and slightly resembling a giant brick) truck.

Circling around to the back she unlatched the rear tire carrier, swung it to the side, lifted the rear glass window, and tossed her bag in behind the rear seats. She pulled the glass window back down, but it wouldn't latch. _Hrr-mmm,_ Ruby grumbled as she tried a few more times to shut it, careful not to break the window. A replacement would be hard to find and expensive for a truck of this vintage. Convinced that it was not going to latch, she lifted the glass again and fiddled with the steel catch mechanism. After forty years and countless times the window had been opened, the tiny return spring had become caked in rust. Ruby pulled a small flathead screwdriver she kept in her coat and deftly pushed it into the catch. It sprung back up to attention, and finally satisfied, Ruby shut the glass and pulled the tire carrier back into position.

Walking over to the left-side drivers door, Ruby pulled on the polished chrome handle, and the door briefly refused to open, finally giving way and opening with that classic VHI groan from the all-steel hinges. Ruby clambered up into the four-by-four's driver's seat, a position her father had spent nearly twenty years in himself before passing the huge truck down to his youngest daughter. The red-on-red colour scheme didn't suit Yang anyway. Pulling the heavy steel door shut again, Ruby briefly enjoyed the hearty _slam_ the door made. Her morning wasn't the greatest, as waking up at four-thirty had greatly annoyed the usually sleepy girl. No one should be made to recognize this time. It was just _cruel._

Ruby pushed the shiny steel key into the chrome slot in the dashboard and turned the ignition to the 'on' position as she waited for the electric fuel pump to send gas to the triplet of two-barrel carburetors that sat atop the large engine. After a few seconds of waiting, Ruby turned the key all the way over.

The starter motor whined as it struggled to turn the ancient motor to life, the eight paint-can-sized cylinders thumping lifelessly in their sleeves. The engine coughed a few times, but would not start. Ruby growled at the bonnet through the picture-window glass. Grabbing the hood-release lever and a can of starting fluid from the glovebox, Ruby stepped once again back onto her snow-covered driveway. Lifting the gargantuan bonnet, Ruby ascended the heavy steel brush-guard like a ladder, her short, five-foot-two stature requiring her to literally _enter_ the engine bay to work on the large truck. Carefully undoing the wing nuts that held the air breather in place, Ruby sent a long blast of pressurized starting fluid down each of the three carburetors perched on the huge motor while manually opening the throttle valves.

Ruby hopped down from the tall perch and climbed back into the cab before tuning the key again. The leviathan Valean motor struggled once more before thundering into life, settling quickly down into a low idle. Ruby quickly replaced the chrome air cleaner and re-tightened the wing-nuts before slamming the long steel bonnet back shut again. Once comfortably in her seat again, she took a moment to relax and mentally go over the journey she was about to take part in.

It would be a four-day trek across Atlas with her best friend and former fighting partner Weiss, to visit _another_ friend who was hosting a school reunion of sorts. A recent and unforeseen blizzard had closed down the airport. It was usually snowing in Atlas, but this particular storm had been too much for the ground crew to deal with, but not too much for Ruby's truck. Ruby reached up and pulled the heavy column-shift lever into reverse, the old truck shuddering briefly as the huge motor began tugging the substantial mass backward. Ruby was excited to see her friends, of course.

When she had stopped in the road just beyond her driveway, she paused and frowned for a moment when she realized she had to spend four days trapped in this truck with Weiss, a predicament not made any better by her _kinda-sorta-not-really, I-don't-want-to-talk-about-it, Yang-cut-it-out-I'm-serious_ crush on her former teammate. Ruby slammed the gear lever down into drive and booted the accelerator, the rear tires chirping as the truck was shunted down the freshly-plowed road.

Ruby knew she had to try and distract herself from any impure thoughts about the ice princess, so she flicked the radio on. Only to be shouted at by herself.

" _Hey, goooood morning Atlas and welcome to Ruby Radio! Your home for all music from the 70's, 80's, and 90's, interspersed with talks about guns, girls, and cars, hosted by everyone's favourite brunette, Me! Ruby Rose! Up first, a little number from Vale's sweetheart, Miss Casey Lee!_ "

Ruby grimaced as a loud rock song began playing from the old radio. Ruby had recently taken up a job as a radio producer in Atlas. She had indeed followed her dream of becoming a Huntress, but that line of work paid peanuts, and only had her out on missions a few times a month. The radio job gave Ruby a pleasant sense of routine, and enough disposable income for her to buy a little house and the oil-refinery-worth of fuel needed for her old truck. Ruby turned the radio down, much too tired to want to listen to re-runs of herself yelling about music at five in the morning.

An uneasy bubbling in Ruby's stomach never seemed to dissipate on the drive to the Schnee Manor. _God, am I really this nervous? It's just Weiss after all, not like an angry ursa or anything… Actually an ursa would be better. Less scary._

Chapter 2

Weiss had been up since three in the morning packing. Well, less packing, more frantically stuffing clothes into and out of her designer luggage. _Was this too much? Would I need a swimsuit, and if so, two piece or one? What matches this, what matches that, and for the love of the Gods, WHICH SHOES?_

The white-haired girl was convinced she would turn grey. It was only Ruby, her butler had reminded her, not another one of the horribly crass and despicable suitors her father insisted she date. Of course, Weiss couldn't admit that it was _just Ruby_ to anyone, most especially not to her rather xenophobic father. Her delicate heart fluttered every time her butler, or anyone for that matter, mentioned the red-themed brunette. She would be spending four days cooped up in the cozy confines of Ruby's truck _with Ruby_ on a journey to see their friends. Weiss was externally annoyed that they weren't going to be flying first class in her company's private plane, but she was secretly jumping for joy at the prospect of private time with her former teammate and current crush. Not that she'd tell anyone, of course. Especially not Ruby.

Still in her pyjamas, Weiss left the messy room she had been trashing to venture downstairs. It had suddenly occurred to her that she was absolutely famished. Her butler, Klein, was already in the kitchen when she arrived, the kettle boiling.

"Coffee, my dear girl?" The moustached man asked in his soft voice.

"Thank you, Klein" She responded, a weary sigh escaping her lips.

The morning light had not yet made it's way through the frosty windows. Weiss sipped her coffee, the hot, expensive brew warming her small frame in the cold house. Her hands were shaking a little as she set the bone china mug down. She cast a worried look out the kitchen window.

"I understand how you are feeling, my little snowflake" the short butler said "For I too was once in love..."

Weiss interrupted him, her voice shrill

"I'm not in love! Don't be absurd! And be quiet before father hears you!"

Klein merely smiled at the young girl.

"Dear miss Schnee, you must take me for a fool. For when I was twenty-five, as you are now, I had my heart stolen by a young girl who I pined desperately for. She was charming, beautiful, elegant, yet excellently clumsy. But I was far too shy to ever make a move."

"Did you lose her?" Weiss asked, poorly hiding her own anxiety. The girl Klein had described reminded her of Ruby.

"On the contrary, my dear! The woman I am referring to is my wife, Clara! Sometimes it's best to be a little bold, you mustn't forget this."

Weiss thought about these words for a moment, smiling as she pictured her and Ruby together ( _together-together,_ as Nora had always insisted). This mental image was ground to a rather quick halt as she thought of what her father would say. As if he could read her thoughts, Klein spoke up again.

"You really shouldn't worry about what your father has to say, little one." he smiled at her, softer than he had the day she was born "If he really loves you, he will accept you for who you are."

"I'm sorry Klein, but that's a load of bullshit." Weiss retorted, with a humourless laugh. "I'm the Acting Director of the Schnee Dust Company, he wouldn't approve of me being with some _girl."_

"I hardly think it appropriate to refer to your friend as 'some girl' the way he might. If your father cannot accept those you bring into your life, than he is a disgrace as a father. I've known Jacques for forty years now and I can attest to how much of an arse he really is."

Weiss' eyes widened at this comment, but couldn't help herself from smiling.

"Klein! You shouldn't say such things! The other staff might hear!" she chastised, giggling.

"If Master Schnee has any poor words to say about my precious little snowflake, he can file a report to the complaints department."

The old butler was smiling, raising a balled fist menacingly. Hints of the old man's arm tattoo were visible on the centimetre of exposed skin between his white silk glove and the cuff of his uniform. Once, many years ago Klein had led a band of rogue Hunters against the forces of Grimm all across Atlas.

Weiss' quiet laughter was interrupted by the soft buzzing of the PA device on the kitchen wall, the gate guard's voice coming softly through it.

"Miss Rose is here, Klein. Please alert young Miss Schnee." came the deep masculine timbre.

"Thank you, Antony" Klein replied, before looking at Weiss, who had frozen in her seat. "I do believe your _girlfriend_ is here, snowflake."


	2. Chapter 2: Leaving

Chapter 3

"Thank you, Mister Antony!" Ruby called as she rolled her manual-crank window back up and trundled up the long driveway to the manor. The house looked more like a castle, with the white pillars and tall spires adorning the exterior of the colossal structure. The Schnee family was likely in the upper one percent wealthiest families on Remnant, as they owned and managed the aptly named Schnee Dust Company, created by Weiss's grandfather some eighty years before. The garage door at the end of the long drive opened, and Ruby drove her truck into the building. The garage was more like a showroom for the seven expensive sports cars that Weiss's father owned, and the one car Weiss did. Ruby shut off the huge unruly engine of her truck and stepped onto the once pristine floor, silently cursing herself for driving the snow-covered truck onto the polished marble. Ruby knew that after they had left, someone would come and clean the floor again, but she felt guilty that they would on account of _her._

Ruby strolled past four of the Atlesian supercars, ogling them slack-jawed as she passed her gaze over the sweeping and precise lines of each one, mentally imagining how the twelve-cylinder engines would feel rocketing her and Weiss down the highway, far from the tyranny of real life. She was interrupted by the soft voice and white moustache of Weiss's butler, Klein.

"Atlas AG Donckerwolke. Six-point-five litre twelve-cylinder, twin-clutch gearbox, all-wheel-drive, and a top speed of life in jail, Miss Rose."

Ruby jumped a little at the sudden appearance, but smiled at the friendly butler.

"Hey Klein!" she cheered, rushing forward to hug the elderly man. "Is Weiss up yet?"

"I believe our Weiss is still in bed. She was fretting about packing last night, worried what you would want her to bring." he said, gently removing the friendly brunette. "I would recommend you go upstairs and assist her in packing her suitcases."

Ruby looked at the man, confused "Suitcases?"

"She has expensive taste, Miss Rose. And she didn't know what you'd like" Klein said, winking.

Ruby giggled slightly and followed the man inside. She made her way through the expanse of hallways to the grand main staircase, before turning back towards Klein, a mildly worried expression on her face.

"Are you sure it's okay for me to wake her?" she asked, raising an eyebrow.

"I'm sure yours is the face she'd be pleased to wake up to, my dear" the kind butler responded.

Ruby smiled at him, and began ascending the long, sweeping marble staircase. Ruby's polka-dot socks slipped a little on the polished floor and she carefully treaded on each step, not noticing she had slowed way down. Weiss was at the top of the stairs. _Weiss was up there_. It was amazing how Ruby turned into a nervous teenager whenever she was near Weiss. Ruby had to urge herself up the final few steps, the long hallway to the white haired girl loomed into view. She stepped forward gracefully, careful to not make a sound on the hard floor. Ruby stood before the door with a gold plaque that read 'Weiss' and drummed her fingers softly upon it. From inside came the voice that made her heart skip.

"Unless you're coffee, go away"

Ruby thought for a minute.

"And what if I'm Ruby?"

There was a pause. Her heart thumped loudly.

"That is also acceptable"

Ruby flung the door open and leaped forward towards Weiss's bed, only to trip over a pile of clothes likely worth more than her house. Ruby scrambled to her feet, in an unsuccessful attempt to look graceful, to find Weiss was not in bed, but rather _on_ it, face down in a pile of silk jackets. The white-haired girl lifted her head and gave Ruby an exasperated expression, as if defeated by her own wardrobe.

"Please help me, Ruby. I can't pack."

The dark circles under her eyes revealed that the girl before her probably had been awake longer than the butler had told her. Probably since three, Ruby guessed. She glanced around the bedlam that had been strewn around the usually pristine room and sighed. Weiss was supposed to the co-ordinated one of the pair, this sort of wreckage could only be caused by the nerves of a scared animal in a china shop. Ruby raised her chin and stood in a warrior's stance.

"Weiss Schnee, I solemnly swear to rescue you from the fabric-lined evil of packing a suitcase! Now stand up and go to the closet!"

Ruby watched as Weiss giggled softly at this comment before rolling off her bed and walking rather unprofessionally over to the huge walk-in closet in the corner of the room, loose flannel pyjamas dragging under her feet on the hardwood floor. Ruby watched the girl retreat into the oversized closet, heart fluttering as just the pyjamas flew back out. Weiss spoke up from inside the room, unseen.

"What do you want me to wear?"

Ruby grinned as she realized the power she had just been given. She sat on the edge of Weiss's bed and gave her first command.

"Let's start with underwear" she said, crossing her legs and staring at her nails. "Something sexy."

Chapter 4

Weiss was glad Ruby couldn't see her blushing, but it was a wonder that the creatures on the _Moon_ couldn't see her blushing, as she was currently doing it with her entire naked frame. She pulled open the vast underwear drawer in the large closet and chose a particularly lacy number that any layman might have called _lingerie._ Pulling it gently over her alabaster skin, she briefly considered calling Ruby into the closet to have her do up the clasp for her.

She shivered with delight at the idea. _No. Not yet. Bad Weiss. Patience._

"Okay" she tried not to express the blush verbally "What next?"

"How about something useful. Cargo pants perhaps?" Ruby suggested.

"We're not going to the jungle, Rubes. We're going to be in the car for four days!" she replied.

"Yeah, but adventure!"

Ruby shouted from the other room. Weiss frowned, but shrugged and grabbed a particularly sparkly set of white designer pants from their hanger and pulled them gracefully on. Looking at herself in the mirror, she admired how the pocketed pants hugged her long legs and posterior, pleased with herself. Her torso was still only covered by the lacy blue bra, however, and Weiss so desperately wanted to show Ruby. _Time to show off_ her inner pervert giggled at her.

"Shut up, me!" she whispered harshly at herself in the mirror, quickly bringing herself to the rungs where her collection of short-sleeved shirts hung.

"How's the heater in your truck?"

There was a pause, followed by a half-hearted reply.

"Pretty good I guess."

Weiss frowned and moved from the short-sleeve department to the sweaters, and grabbed a scarlet-red cashmere sweater, pulling it over her head and flowing white hair, before pulling the long hair up through the high collar and letting it flow down her back. Weiss hoped that her friend would notice her colour choice on the sweater and be bashful that she had included red in her usually monochrome style. Moving to her collection of coats, Weiss chose a medium-length white single-breasted blazer and draped it over her shoulders. She strolled out of the closet, doing her best imitation of a runway model, before twirling around on the spot in front of where Ruby sat.

"Red sweater? It's like you love me or something, Weiss."

Weiss stifled a squeak and blushed vividly and rushed back into the closet.

"I'll change it I'm sorry!"

She shouted over her shoulder at the bed, blindly running back towards the closet...before running directly into Ruby, who had mysteriously appeared in the closet in front of her. Weiss's eyes were still closed and she felt Ruby place her hands on her shoulders. Her eyes opened warily. The red-accented girl was smiling at her.

"Weiss Schnee. I like the sweater. It looks dashing on you"

Weiss had no idea that Ruby was blushing just as much as she was, as Ruby's pinker skin hid it a little better than her own pale visage.

"Now!" Ruby clapped. "Let's get you packed!"

The next hour or so was spent with the two girls arguing over what article of clothing went with what, and which bag it should go in. Ruby complained that two bags were going to be excessive, and Weiss had argued that the four day journey would require plenty of outfit changes. Ruby had insisted that Weiss bring a swimsuit as there would be hot-tubs and a hot spring along their route, and Weiss had daringly asked Ruby to pick one if she modelled a few. She was sure her heart would explode through her chest each time she stood before her love interest in the swimwear, and before long they had decided on a fairly conservative but still alluring ice-blue two-piece number that Ruby assured her would get her some stares from anyone with a pulse, Weiss silently hoping that Ruby would stare as well.

After the two designer bags had been stuffed to capacity with silk, leather, velour, and fine wool, the two girls made their way down to the kitchen with Klein the butler easily carrying both bags as if they were not the finest leather money could buy, but rather strands of tissue paper. Klein was quick to serve the two girls breakfast, crepes with soft mountain cream and tall glasses of orange juice the moustachioed man had insisted he hand-squeeze. Weiss felt a little pampered at this, like she had been before Beacon. She ate here crepes ( _holy mother of everything these are delicious)_ with a reasonable amount of fervour, and was enjoying them happily, until she saw Ruby move out of the corner of her eye.

"Weiss, hang on, you got a little something..."

She trailed off, one hand reaching out to her pale cheek. Weiss froze, unable to comprehend as Ruby gently brushed her thumb against the corner of her mouth, wiping away a small amount of cream away that had collected there. Weiss couldn't help but let out the tiniest of whimpers at this action, one she hoped hadn't been heard. However judging by the wink Ruby sent her way, clearly had been. _Shit! Bad!_

A little while later it was time for the two friends to leave and begin their cross-country journey. Weiss's bags had been carefully placed in the back of Ruby's two-door SUV, and the girls were in the mudroom doing up their jackets and boots. Ruby climbed into the driver's seat of her truck and fired up the gargantuan motor as Weiss buckled herself onto the burgundy velour bench seat. Weiss watched as Ruby pulled the heavy shifter into reverse, before slowly backing out of the car-museum-like garage and onto the long curving driveway. She could only watch, amused, as her new chauffeur elegantly executed a three-point turn in the tight driveway, before driving them down to the gate-guard, who let them through with a smile.

"Enjoy your trip, Miss Schnee, Miss Rose!" he called at them through the blowing snow. The two travelling partners waved back with big smiles, and Ruby made a point to rev the huge engine a little, much to Weiss's amusement.

It would be a long journey. But Weiss was certain she would love it.


	3. Chapter 3: Accident

Chapter 5

Ruby pulled the heavy truck up onto the highway on ramp, opening up the throttle to increase her speed. She revelled in the glorious induction sound the three carburetors sucked gallons upon gallons of air into the huge motor. It was like riding an easy chair passed a tuba quintet. Just noise and comfort. The big truck pulled effortlessly through the snow-coated highway, trundling through the deep white powder. Ruby pushed the accelerator down a little further and enjoyed the sensation of traction the old-fashioned vehicle gave her. Until she was interrupted by her annoyed travelling companion.

"I have no idea how you convinced me we should take your truck, Ruby."

Ruby furrowed her brow and turned in her seat to look at the white-haired ice princess.

"Wasn't it you who suggested we take the truck? Something about safety?"

"I said nothing of the sort! My car would be far superior to this one for a long trip." came the reply.

"Weiss, I'm going to repeat back to you now the reasons you gave me in order to convince me that my truck was the correct choice."

Ruby held up a finger.

"Number one, my truck wears snow tires, number two, my truck has greater ground clearance and a more comfortable ride, and number three, you are scared of driving in the snow."

Ruby turned to glare wickedly at her friend at this comment, much to her annoyance.

"I'm not scared!" Weiss was shaking a little. Ruby raised an eyebrow. "Okay, well, perhaps a small amount. But that's only because my car is a little skittish in slippery conditions."

"Weiss, that car has five hundred and sixty horsepower. No kidding it's a little skittish. Also all of your ridiculous luggage wouldn't have fit in the trunk."

A large gust of blowing snow hit the side of the truck and pushed it out of line. Ruby wrestled the wheel for a moment to get the vintage beast back on the straight and narrow. She knew they weren't going to crash, so she played it up a little with a bit of concerned noises. She was currently enjoying the squirming and shrieking her companion was making on her side of the bench seat.

Weiss harrumphed and crossed her arms, pouting angrily at Ruby.

"I don't see why we didn't borrow father's Range Cruiser."

"Okay, Weiss?"

Ruby turned and poked her in the side.

"Why don't you think about that for a moment. Do you really believe that your father would have agreed to lend you a brand-new luxury SUV for a four day drive across the snowy highways of Atlas? That truck is worth over a hundred thousand lien. And you'd be spending those four days with a girl, cooped up with no contact without any other one of your friends. Not a damn chance, Weiss-Cream."

The pout increased tenfold.

"Yeah, but at least there would have been heated seats."

"Do you have a problem with my heater, ice princess? I'd be happy to set you on fire, you know."

Weiss giggled in her seat, before poking Ruby back.

"Oh please. You'd miss me too much, Rose Petal."

Ruby blushed. Like, crimson fires in an autumn forest filled with firetrucks, stop signs, and red-velvet cupcakes. This was a level of heart-fluttering that could be rivalled only by a whole flock of hummingbirds. It had been probably six years or so since Weiss had called her that, the last time being at the annual Beacon Academy dance, when Weiss Schnee, the coldest of the cold, had asked her if she would like to dance. The memory stirred interesting feelings in Ruby's body.

 _Damn it , Weiss. Stop making me feel things!_

Fingers snapping in front of her face brought Ruby's fantasy to a crushing end.

"Hello Ruby? It's time to drive." Weiss said, annoyed.

 _Well at least she didn't see me blushing._

"If you had blushed any harder you would have become one with the red seat, you dolt."

 _Well darn._

Ruby tried to concentrate on driving again. Images of dancing with Weiss flashed momentarily back into her mind, before being quickly extinguished. It was time to change the subject, lest she die of embarrassment.

"Say, Weiss-cream, I noticed you chose to bring your sword on this journey. Care to explain?"

Weiss seemed taken aback by this, as if her ancestors had been offended.

"Of course I'm bringing Myrtenaster. We are travelling far away from my home, across vast barren landscapes that could be infested with the creatures of Grimm!"

Ruby looked perplexed at her partner.

"Barren landscapes? You mean the highways Atlas? The ones patrolled and protected by the army?"

Weiss seemed, for once in her life, at a loss.

"Yeah, but..."

Her mouth hung agape, unable to form a concise argument.

"Are you saying you didn't bring Crescent Rose?"

 _Touche._

"Well obviously I brought my scythe, Weiss. It is always in my truck. I am physically incapable of leaving home without it"

The two girls laughed and continued teasing each other as they trundled through the blizzard. A few hours later, the low fuel light came on and Ruby pulled the heavy truck off the highway into a truck stop. Pulling up to a pump, she shut the motor off and stepped out. Thank the gods fuel is cheap here in Atlas she thought as she put the nozzle into the tank and began filling. There was a sudden presence at her side.

"Hey Weiss. You seem cold" She said to the girl in the white coat who had pushed herself up against her.

"Shut up. You turned the car off. You're warm" came the short responses. Ruby put her arm around the shivering girl and stared strictly at the pump. The huge seventy-five litre tank continued to drink very slowly, as if it was dragging out this comforting moment on purpose. Ruby glanced over at her companion, unsure if the red of her cheeks were from the cold or from blushing. Ruby was banking on the latter. She knew she had to be bold. It was time to make a move. She was going to ask the girl out.

"Hey Ruby?" came a small voice at her right side. Completely distract by her own thoughts, Ruby turned to face Weiss.

"Yeah?"

There was suddenly a very warm feeling on her lips. Her heart stopped.

Chapter 6

 _HOLY SHIT I JUST KISSED RUBY_

Chapter 7

 _HOLY SHIT WEISS JUST KISSED ME_

Chapter 8

The two women stood in the snow, dumbfounded. Neither said a word. Weiss's heart was beating roughly with the same speed and intensity as an industrial power drill. Her eyes made contact with Ruby's. Neither of them wanted to move. But the hitched breathing in her friend's chest sounded to her like an invitation to… do it again?

"I, uh…"

"Weiss, I…"

"Puh…"

They both sort of awkwardly smiled at one another. Weiss tried to compose herself. To no avail, of course. Her cheeks lit up like two very prominent lighthouses in a wash of red. Her mouth refused to comply with her brain, and curled into an embarrassed smile. Luck would have it, as Ruby was smiling too.

"Hey, look, that was totally my fault. I didn't expect your face to be there and I-"

"No apology needed, Weiss. It's cool."

 _REALLY cool._

Weiss tried not to shiver with delight.

"So are we gonna stand here, or…"

Weiss nodded, looking away.

"Right, of course. My turn to drive, right?"

Ruby nodded eagerly and tossed over the keys. Weiss climbed up into the driver's seat of the old red truck and turned the key. The big eight-cylinder thundered quietly beneath the bonnet as she pulled them back onto the highway, the four-by-four carving a smooth path through the thick white powder.

"Ruby, I'm serious, this truck would be more fuel-efficient if you just set fire to your wallet directly. How big is this engine, anyway?"

"Four hundred and fifty cubic inches of justice, my friend." Ruby beamed from her place in the passenger seat "If the ice princess has a problem with that she can buy a hybrid"

Weiss scoffed at this.

A hybrid? You must be joking! How dare you insinuate that I dislike performance!

"I'll have you know that the Atlas AG Klasse-7 would introduce all of your pathetic displacement to the pain of good mileage and forced induction." Weiss replied, pleased that she could use her car to trump Ruby's. Again.

"Weiss you know that's not fair. Your car was eighty grand. Of course it's better than a forty year old truck." This got Ruby a poke in the ribs. "Quit it, you jerk!"

Time to be bold, the white-haired princess thought.

"So. Anyone you fancy?"

Chapter 9

Thus came the question from the alabaster-skinned girl at the wheel. _Yeah, you_. Ruby wanted to say, but couldn't. The feeling of Weiss's soft lips still reverberated through her body. It was overwhelming her entire being, flowing through her like a coursing river. She had to think of an answer that wasn't Weiss.

"Uh, well, you know. I live alone, and I don't really get out of the house much. Except for work, of course"

Ruby stumbled over her words like her damn boots were tied together.

"And whenever I'm out on assignment I don't really interact with any other Huntsmen. So I never get the chance to meet any new people."

 _Curse these stupid nerves._

"I mean, you are like the only person I ever hang out with..."

Ruby could see Weiss's face grow concerned at this revelation. Her friend spoke up.

"Not even your other friends? Not Blake? Or your sister?"

"Well, not really. Since I moved to Atlas I really only see you. Blake's too far away in Menagerie, Yang stayed in Patch, and everyone else got scattered to the wind, I guess."

Ruby tried not to pout. But her bottom lip had betrayed her. The ice princess was quick to notice this.

"C'mon, Rubes. I'll be your friend for all those jerks who abandoned you. And stick your lip back in before I kiss it again"

Ruby's heart thumped against her ribcage so hard it nearly flung her out of her seat.

"And besides, what's a kiss among friends, right?"

 _NO. Not just a kiss. You don't know how much I like you, you ass-hat. It's not FAIR._

Ruby pushed her lip out further and waved it at Weiss, who giggled and pushed her back onto her side of the seat.

"I will take you up on that, Weiss-cream"

The two girls giggled at each other, before the unholy roar of a beast silenced the pair. Ruby looked at Weiss, eyes wide. Weiss returned the horrified stare.

"Hungry, are we?" Ruby asked.

"You can shut up now" The horribly embarrassed girl responded.

Ruby laughed at her friend's discomfort.

"Hey, don't worry friend, I packed us lunches for today!"

Ruby reached behind the seat and procured a blue and white drinks cooler. Upon opening it, Ruby grabbed two thick sandwiches, each in its own zip-lock bag and handed one to Weiss. She watched carefully as the alabaster-skinned driver deftly balanced the sandwich on the bottom of the fake-wood steering wheel as she opened the bag. Weiss brought the sandwich up to her mouth and took a bite.

Please like it, I made it just for you her mind screamed at her. Ruby's heart stopped when Weiss stopped chewing for a moment. She would need the hospital soon with the amount of time her heart spent not beating.

"Ruby?"

 _Oh shit she hates it_

"...what sort of sandwich is this? It's very good but I cannot identify what kind of meat this is."

Ruby let out the breath she had been holding, and released her nervous and crushing grip on her own sandwich.

"Uh, it's just ham and cheese"

Ruby watched as Weiss placed the sandwich onto the top of the steering wheel, before leafing through the thick blankets of meat that had been carefully stacked between the soft pieces of bread. Her eyebrow raised at Ruby, a smirk coming to her mouth.

"I hardly think this is just one sort of meat, Rose-Petal."

 _You-ouu need to cut that out._

"Well, I did add some turkey..."

Weiss's eyebrow went higher

"and a little prosciutto, some smoked meat, and braised beef."

Weiss laughed and put her sandwich back together before taking another bite, still smiling.

"Look I didn't know what you liked and I was gonna make one sandwich of each kind but I ran out of bread, okay?"

Ruby gave an exasperated sigh and looked away, not wanting to make eye contact with her crush.

 _This is worse than not fair._

"Ruby..."

A voice came from the driver's seat. A warm hand had appeared on her shoulder. Ruby turned to see Weiss smiling softly at her

"I would have been happy if you had fed me cookies, you dunce. The notion that you put effort into making me a sandwich warms my heart greatly. Plus, it's actually a really good sandwich."

Weiss had finished her food rather quickly, Ruby guessed, and had returned her gaze through the windscreen. The white snow whipped by, the harsh blizzard not likely to give up any time soon. Ruby had an idea. She had sort of guessed that maybe her feelings were being returned, but now she needed to know. She put a plan into action.

"Want to talk about cute boys?"

Weiss laughed.

"Isn't that what your radio show is about? I mean I'd be glad to of course, Rubes. It has been a while since we got to have a little girl-on-girl talk."

 _I'll show you girl-on-girl._

"You listen to my show?" Ruby asked, blushing and a little dumbfounded.

"Of course! I take my lunch break at three-thirty every day so I can hear it live! I haven't missed an episode since it first aired, you dolt!"

The reply had sounded almost overly excited.

"So what sort of cute boys did you want to talk about?"

Ruby pondered, hand on chin.

"You remember Neptune?"

She watched as Weiss shuddered in her seat at the memory.

"Of _course_ I remember him. What a vile and despicable person he was. 'Look at me, I'm Neptune, I can stand girls up on dates because I'm sooooo pretty. My hair extensions are worth more than your life. I'm afraid of water, whaa whaa!' Ugh, his childish attitude made me want to strangle him! Sure, he may have been cute but he has absolutely no character at all! Just all brawn and smiles! And to think i liked him at one point!"

Ruby tested the waters of Hurricane Weiss.

"You know him, Sun, Sage, and Scarlet run a racing team back in Vale, right?"

"And another thing! He absolutely couldn't dance to save his life!"

 _Perfect._

"I may have danced with Jaune that one time as well, and that boy had two left feet, for sure, but it was like Neptune had no feet at all! I had to drag him to the dance after he stood me up and force him to have some semblance of fun, and he went and ruined my best shoes with his stupid boots!"

Ruby mumbled something to gauge Weiss's level of attention.

"Once, while practising my 'sexy face' in the mirror, I accidentally seduced myself."

Nothing. Good.

"And now where on the topic of Jaune, I'd just like to point out that he was the most colossally stupid boy I had ever met. No matter how many times I turned him down, he kept coming back to ask me for a date! What does it take for men to realize that a girl isn't interested!?"

Ruby flinched subconsciously at the mention of his name, but she soldiered on.

"While reading Macdeath in high school, I actually beheaded one of my classmates. I got an A-minus."

"Like that one time he came to the door with a guitar and sang that horrible song! Who writes music to get a date? Like you say on the show, men write music to get girls back, but this blond idiot tried to woo me with it! Who brings a guitar to a school for fighting monsters?"

"I am colour blind. But only to fictional colours."

"Ugh, let me tell you about that boy Sun. He was so weird! Like, who goes out of there way to climb to the fifth floor dormitory window to spy on some girls? And he always had his shirt undone! Do it up, you colossal idiot! Nobody wants to see your abs, no matter how chiseled they might be!"

Ruby sprung her trap.

"Weiss I love you"

"I love you too, Ruby. But that's not my point! His abs were so...gross looking! Like c'mon he was only seventeen! Who looks like that at that age? I can understand a guy like Yatsu, he was much older than us and he spent every waking hour at the gym, but Sun? No way. Ew."

Whoa, hang on, what? What did she just say?

"And while I'm still pissed at Jaune, can I just say that it's a little insulting that the instant Ren brought his little black-haired girlfriend back from Mistral, Jaune suddenly ignored me? That girl was clearly a bitch, leading him on with her staggering good looks, they way her hips swayed, and...those breasts..."

Ruby was now keenly watching Weiss, who had reddened up at the image of the raven-haired vixen that had been suddenly dumped into beacon, not but a week before the Vytal Festival in fourth year. Weiss couldn't stop herself from licking her lips. Ruby jabbed her in the ribs.

"Got a crush, eh?"

Ruby jived, feeling a tiny twinge of jealousy.

"Don't be ridiculous. I dont' crush on girls!"

Okay, now the jealousy was sadness. Ruby couldn't help but pout at this, real sadness had creeped onto her visage. Not even me?

"Okay well that's not fully true. There is one girl..."

Ruby's heart stopped again. Any more and she would need a transplant. Was it the cookies that had done in her arteries?

 _Please let that girl be me!_

"Did you ever have any crushes, Ruby?"

 _Yes, and I'm trapped in this torture chamber with her._

"Oh, you know, the usual high school stuff, cute boys and such. I had a thing for Sun for a while!"

The look on Weiss's face demonstrated her displeasure at this.

"And, uh, if I'm honest I kinda also thought that Miss Goodwitch was pretty."

"You had a thing for Glynda?" Weiss asked, wide eyed.

"I didn't have a thing, Weiss! Just a harmless crush!" Ruby squealed, and desperate to change the subject, added "Hey you know, Blake taught me how to kiss."

There was no response from the ice princess.

Chapter 10

 _Blake did what now?_

Weiss's brain had stopped working. The automatic system that was in place to keep her driving on the road remained fully functional, but the part that dealt with ideas, responses, and feelings had completely crashed. Weiss dot exe had failed.

"You..." was the only thing she could muster for the moment. Her poor damaged brain was still rebooting. Blake had been the quiet, reserved faunus girl that she, Ruby, and Yang shared a room with during their time at Beacon.

"...Kissed..." She was back home in Menagerie, wasn't she? With her father, her mother, and Sun, if should recall correctly. Wasn't she with him romantically? Like as in dating? Wasn't Blake straight?

"...Blake?" the words finally poured from her mouth, an odd sensation rolling off her tongue. Ruby and Blake? But...they all lived in the same room! She would have noticed!

"Yeah, it wasn't like we dated or anything! I just admitted to her one day that I needed to know how to kiss! She helpfully obliged! And, if I'm being honest here..."

Weiss could tell Ruby wasn't being honest, here.

"Her cat-like tongue does wonders to you neck. It's a surprise I even went on my date at all after that session."

Weiss frowned "What do you mean, 'went on your date'? Weren't you dating Blake?"

"Holy cow, Weiss, it's like you weren't even listening. Blake just taught me how to kiss...passionately..." Weiss could see the girl next to her start burning up. "So I could impress my uh... real date. She, uh, may have given me refresher courses every so often as well."

 _That's hot._

There was a lot of very poorly hidden anxiety in Ruby's voice. It sounded almost like she didn't want to talk about it. Like she wanted to avoid this topic at all costs. Weiss stupidly pressed on.

"A real date with whom?" Weiss tried to pry.

"I don't think you want to know, Weiss."

Of course I want to know! I only will want to kill them a little! "As long as it isn't Jaune, I'll be fine, Rubes"

Ruby looked away out the passenger window. Her face was visibly pained.

 _Uh oh._

"It was Jaune."

 _Scratch that. I want to kill him a lot._

"YOU DATED JAUNE?" Weiss nearly shouted Ruby through the door.

"Calm down, you crazy person, it was only for six months!" came the reply from the scared girl. Her defensive tone had an air of fear to it. But not fear of the shouting.

Oh, this was not good. Six months meant at least three dates. And three dates means...

"Weiss, seriously! Jaune was... sweet to me! He was kind, and observant, and he… uh... took me on dates, and he listened to me, and he played me his guitar! I don't know w-why you hate him!"

 _Because he violated MY Ruby_

"I don't hate him, Ruby, I just don't see what you saw in him, that's all!" Weiss lied, hoping that Ruby would bite.

"He was... gentle...he actually... cared about me."

 _Gentle? No. No no. NONONONONO._

"The first thing I remember about you is you shouting at me and then us blowing up! Jaune was kind enough to help me when I was in need, Weiss." The brunette shot at her, a deadly glare in her eye.

The atmosphere in the car had gone from awkward to playful to volatile very quickly. The two girls sat in silence for the next two hours until the low fuel light came back on. Weiss pulled the truck off at a little town and pulled up at a gas station, shutting the truck off next to one of the pumps. She decided there was something she had to ask, no matter how much she knew it would hurt to hear it.

"Ruby, I..." she trailed off. The girl next to her finally made eye contact again. "I just wanted to know if you guys ever..." she couldn't finish the question. She saw Ruby's eyes flare.

"Yes."

The answer was curt, short, and to the point. It sounded… distressed? Her brain raced to come up with some form of explanation. None came. Weiss had started to cry. Ruby's words cut through her like a thousand falling axes. She understood that when two people entered a romantic relationship, there was bound to be an element of sexuality eventually. She just wanted that element to be with Ruby. But why had there been such hesitation? Why did Ruby sound so… disconnected to it?

 _Oh my god I'm a terrible person._

Weiss slumped her shoulders and leaned against the wheel, not wanting Ruby to see her cry. Pain flooded through her. Before, it was because she knew she wouldn't get to be her friend's first. Now it was because she thought she would never get her at all. Ruined it. Fucking ruined it, you dumb idiot.

"I'm sorry" were the only words she could push out past the tears and the soft silk of her coat's sleeves, which were now plastered in makeup. There was a sudden warmth around her shoulders. Ruby had slid across the seat and laid her arms around the weeping heap, gently brushing her hair with her hand.

"No, Weiss, don't cry. It's just..."

Weiss could feel Ruby's chest fall in a heavy sigh while she tried for the right thing to say. Her voice was shaking. Uncertain.

"You seemed so angry at me over my... choice. Like you were j...jealous. I thought you were going to hate me and I would lose you. I lashed out. I'm sorry."

Through her sodden face she could see that Ruby had begun to cry as well. "Lose...me...?" Weiss asked, shaking.

"Weiss..." there was a pause, one that felt to the alabaster-skinned girl like an eternity. "I love you."

Now, there had been many instances in the past where Ruby and Weiss's lips had come to meet. Each time it was one hundred percent accidental. One such time, Ruby had been tired and was napping on Weiss's bed, when the latter had burst into the room to flop down onto what she thought would be an empty mattress. Another had been a time when Weiss and Blake had been practising a Gymnastic routine where Blake was stood upon the other girl's shoulders. Weiss had lost her balance and Ruby, who had been observing, tried to stabilize the falling girl and had received a face-full of best friend. And even earlier that day at the fuel pump, Weiss had tried to ask to borrow Ruby's scarf, but because of their almost cuddling proximity, had accidentally pushed her lips against Ruby's. Any casual observer might have accused the two of being characters in a sappy romance movie. Truth was, they were just very unlucky.

But now, after hearing the words 'I', 'love', and 'you' come from the face of the woman she was so desperate for, Weiss realized that all of her bad luck had paid off. Their eyes closed, and their lips came together.

And for the first time in eight years, Ruby and Weiss kissed on purpose.


	4. Chapter 4: Admission

Chapter 11

 _One._

 _Two._

 _Three._

 _Four._

 _Five._

Weiss counted every heartbeat as it thudded in her chest like a hammer. Ruby's lips were like silk against hers, and this feeling was one she definitely didn't want to end. This feeling was like heaven. Although, it was now joined by a new feeling. One she definitely didn't like. She couldn't quite place it, but it felt like her lungs were burning.

 _Oh shit I forgot to breathe_

Weiss broke the kiss, gasping for air. Looking up at Ruby, she could see the silvery-eyed girl giggling at her, biting her bottom lip in a sensual way.

 _Okay, that's not fair. You aren't supposed to be that sexy_

The two panting girls sat next to each other on the red velour bench seat, unable to do anything more than smile stupidly at the other person. Weiss so desperately wanted to kiss Ruby again. It was probably the best feeling she had had all day. Or all week. Perhaps even all year.

A sudden wave of realization had overcome her. They had parked up at a fuel pump, sat there a moment, had an argument, then made out. Technically they were in everyone's way.

"Uh, Ruby, shouldn't we..." Weiss pointed to the pump, and watched as Ruby's eyes shot open.

"Shit, right!" came the reply as her companion dived for the door handle.

"Ruby, I got it this time. You paid the last two times. It's only fair."

Ruby gave her a pained look "Are you sure? It's my car, after all, and it does use a lot of fuel."

"Ruby, it's fine. Besides, you did just pay me" Weiss winked at her before climbing out of the lifted vehicle and into the freezing air. Struggling with the old-fashioned chrome fuel cap for a moment, she put the nozzle in and selected "regular" grade fuel. The old VHI engine probably could have run on whatever was flammable, Weiss figured, the lower compression ratio favouring low-quality fuels.

 _How do I know that?_

Weiss waved away the internal question, preferring to focus on the frigid temperature and trying not to let her hand freeze to the metal pump handle. She watched as Ruby walked into the little store attached to the gas station, probably off to buy snacks. Perhaps she should treat the girl to dinner out.

 _Perhaps I should treat her to eating out_

Weiss was suddenly so red she blended into the crimson paintwork of Ruby's truck. Her inner pervert was on fire today, and taking its anger out on the poor girl. Her body was furious at her for making it stand out in the harsh Atlesian temperature, and this was clearly her punishment.

The enormous fuel tank continued to drink slowly, as the cold wind whipped snow against the shivering girl. The snowstorm was a result of global warming, so the morning news report had said. Weiss frowned. A group of activists had recently come to the SDC headquarters to protest about how her company was polluting and ruining the environment, even though Weiss had already approved plans for her company to construct another wind farm, one that would completely take her Dust production facilities off the grid and use only sustainable power. Her father had insisted that global warming was a myth, created as a scare tactic to unsettle the public, and that old fashioned coal power was perfectly fine.

But clearly global warming was a thing, and damn it, Ruby's gas-guzzling truck was the number one cause! How can so much fuel be used so quickly?

Weiss did a quick bit of math in her head. If they had been travelling at about one hundred kilometers per hour for four and a half hours and used... The pump clicked off... seventy one litres of fuel, that would mean they were averaging...

Weiss nearly choked on this number. _Fifteen miles per gallon_. Her own car, with it's twin turbo V8 could push twenty-seven if she was light on the throttle. She looked with horror at the large red beast she had been feeding. Fifteen?

Ruby had come bounding back, a plastic bag full of what she hoped was something not sugar filled in her hand, a large smile upon her face. She likely had only bought things that were sugar filled. Dolt.

 _But damn it, I want to kiss that dolt_

The two girls climbed back into the large machine, With Ruby reclaiming her position as driver for the next four-ish hour stint until they reached the first of three hotels. Ruby turned the small steel ignition key.

The big motor sputtered, but failed to start. Weiss watched as her friend's shoulders slumped in a dejected manner, clearly used to this disobedience by the old truck.

"Battery dead?" she asked, hoping to provide some help to their situation.

Ruby looked over at her and sighed. "No, it's just the cold. Carburetors are not exactly best friends with these sub-zero temperatures. We'll give it a minute, it will fire."

Ruby waited a few moments, pumping the accelerator with her foot. She turned the key again and the engine sputtered for a second, the starter motor screaming in the way that old VHI starters did. When the old engine finally lit, it shook the ground as all three-hundred-and-ninety horsepower charged into life. The whole truck vibrated under the force of the muscle, and Weiss couldn't help herself shiver a little with delight at the guttural noise it made.

 _That's odd. Why do I like this?_

Ruby put the truck back into gear and drove them back onto the highway and back on their way. They had been on the road for nearly ten hours now, and Weiss decided it was a good time for a nap. Curling up against the passenger window with Ruby's scarf as a pillow, she shut her eyes and tried to sleep.

But it was not very long lasted.

"Weiss?" came a harsh whisper.

Just ignore it

"Weiss, are you awake?"

 _Just pretend. She'll let you sleep_

Ruby poked her in the boob.

 _OY_

Weiss fought the urge to wake up and hit her friend. Ruby poked her in the boob again.

 _Stop it!_

Weiss opened one eye but didn't turn to look at her driver. Through her bangs she watched as Ruby made another attempt to put hands on her breasts, but she interrupted the girl before she had a chance.

"Ruby, I swear to the gods if you touch my boob again I will rip your hand off and use your fingerprints to commit crimes."

She kept her tone flat, but amused. She did actually want the boob-touching, just not while she was trying to sleep.

"Oh, good, you're awake!" came the smiling reply.

 _Much to my annoyance._

"What do you want, Ruby" Weiss asked, trying to seem more upset than she really was. It was endearing that Ruby wanted her company. And a little sweet.

"I want to talk about cars!"

 _Of course you do_

"I don't know what you think I'll be able to say, I'm not as well versed as you in such matters."

She responded as honestly as she could, sitting back up in her seat. The heater blew hot air on to her face, and she was for once glad that the truck featured such a large engine. And that clever grill-mechanism that could block the radiator and promote heat.

 _How do I even know about that? What's come over me?_

"Nah, it's nothing technical, just I wanted to know what your first car was!" her companion asked, smiling brightly.

Weiss paused a second, blinking.

"Oh. Of course! I had a midnight black VHI Arrow Sedan, the turbocharged one. I bought it brand new with my first paycheck." Weiss said, proudly.

It had actually been a great car, with a turbo that spooled so hard it was like getting hit with a sledge hammer, a really slick manual transmission, and really plush bucket seats. Despite the fact it was made by VHI. Everybody knows that the best cars come from Atlas.

"You had a brand new Arrow? As your first car?"

Ruby's reply sounded almost dissapointed.

"Well of course! I couldn't be seen driving some clapped-out Vacuan sedan to work when I was to become the CEO of a multi-national company, you know."

Weiss sat up with her back straight, as she would if she was at her desk at work, and gave Ruby a sly smile.

"Why, what was your first car?"

The look Ruby gave her made it clear this was a stupid question.

"I took you to prom in my first car, you moron, don't you remember? Fourth year? Two weeks before the tournament? The little red sedan?"

Now she remembered. Well, she remembered the prom at least. That wonderful night where she got to dance with her Ruby. And also Neptune ruining her shoes. But Ruby had in fact driven her there, in a little red sedan with a faded beige interior. She couldn't picture the brand.

"What kind of car was that, again? I honestly can't remember, Rubes, I'm sorry" she said, sheepishly.

Weiss watched as Ruby's incredulous 'you're an idiot' look changed to one of wonder as she reflected on her old car.

"A Hunter RRS sedan. Brilliant little car."

 _Hunter? You mean from Vacuo? Who buys a Vacuan car?_

"Man I miss that little motor. So peppy. So eager to go!"

 _Ruby, apparently_

"You want to know why I bought it?"

She did actually.

"Sure, I guess."

"Well. A little before first year, dad took us to Mistral for a teacher's conference at Haven Academy. We drove there, in this truck, I sat in back and Yang hogged the front seat, like a bitch!"

Ruby smacked the steering wheel.

"Anyway, so after one particularly long seminar about something, I dunno, I forget, he drove us up to this mountain road that led to some expensive resort, where these local kids were racing cars!"

 _My, she's quite excited by this. It's so adorable!_

"There was this one chick, who drove this sparkling white Terminal GT-S, and she must have only been like two years older than me at the most, who was wiping everybody off the mountain with her mad skills, it was like she was untouchable! Then these bullies showed up in these three muscle cars and challenged her to a race!"

Ruby was getting really into her own story now, and Weiss could only sit and watch. Not that she minded, of course. Ruby was so beautiful when she was passionate about something.

"Yeah, they called her the 'Black Queen', and she decided to borrow her friend's car so as to make the defeat even more humiliating! Guess what kind of car it was, Weiss! Guess!"

She needn't have guessed

"A Hunter RRS?"

"Damn right it was an RRS! Brilliant green, too! The way it sounded coming down the road, it was like a superbike! I promise I will remember how it left the starting line like it was yesterday. It moved in no way a front-wheel-drive car could. I knew I had to have one, no matter the cost."

"So you bought that red one."

Ruby slumped a little at this.

"Yeah, it was pretty good. It was only the four-cylinder. Plus it wasn't a coupe."

"But you got to have your dream car, if only for a little while. You should be proud."

This got the colour back in her companion's cheeks.

"Yeah, I guess, eh? Plus, that driver got to be my first girl-crush. She was so pretty. Her hair was this messy yet sexy black pond that framed her face so well. Damn, what I wouldn't give to have actually spoken to her."

Weiss laughed. Good to know she was always interested in women, if only a little at first.

The two girls kept poking and laughing at each other for the next few hours as Ruby drove them through the heavy snow. If there was anyone she wanted to be stuck in a car with, Weiss knew it had to be Ruby. Although, now that she thought about it, would she have to sleep in the car?

"Ruby..."

"Yes, Weiss-Cream?"

"Where are we sleeping tonight?"

Ruby looked away.

"Uh, nowhere fancy..."

There was a hint of something hidden in her voice. She hit the turn signal switch and pulled them off at the next exit. The little town they had pulled in to seemed vaguely familiar to Weiss but she couldn't quite place it. This seemed like a resort town.

 _Wait a minute_

"Ruby...Where are we staying?"

"Uh..."

She didn't say anything more as she slowed the big truck down to pull into a driveway, the building at the end of it imposing and beautiful all at the same time. It was the Chateau Mont St. Horlage, one Weiss had visited once on a business trip. This place was expensive.

 _Really_ expensive.

"Ruby! Why here? How can you afford this?!"

Weiss's mind was a flurry of jealousy, concern, and excitement. It was The Chateau Horlage, after all.

"Well, I knew about this trip for a while now, and I knew we'd need somewhere nice to sleep. So I booked us one night here. It wasn't overly expensive, and I've been saving up specifically for this trip."

Weiss looked at Ruby with surprise. Ruby had done something this nice for her? Out of the blue?

 _She must want in your pants_

Weiss's cheeks reddened at the images presented in her head, ones she certainly didn't object too. Ruby pulled the truck around to the copiously gold-painted front door, and the two of them stepped out. Despite still technically outside, the large covered portico was heated so the two girls weren't chilled as they pulled their bags out of the truck. Ruby handed her keys to the valet, who gave them a smile underlined with disgust that Weiss could see was directed to the dirty, snow-covered old truck they had rolled up in.

What a barbarian, it's a classic! she thought to herself as they walked into the building, nearly blinded by the large amount of polished gold trim every single surface seemed to sport. They approached the desk, and a man with a very west-Mistralian accent handed Ruby her room keys and explained how her kew would also get them into the resort's spa and gym facilities. They thanked the man for his assistance, and he wished them a 'Bonne nuit', whatever that meant, before finding there room.

It was huge. It had one large bed in the centre of the room (for activities! her mind shouted, before being silenced), a writing desk off to one side, two large glass doors that led out to the balcony, which was itself the size of most hotel rooms. Weiss had removed her boots and could now feel the soft, supple velour carpet under her feet. It was like treading on a field of expensive stuffed animals.

"Uh, sorry about the one bed thing. If you want, I can sleep on the floor."

Weiss whipped her head around, offended.

"Ruby! You'll be doing nothing of the sort! The floor will mess up your back, more so than your bad posture!"

Ruby winced at this comment, trying to stand up a little straighter and scratching her head.

"Besides, I don't mind sharing. Remember second year?"

The incident she was referring to was the time during first semester in second year at Beacon when Ruby's dog Zwei (who wasn't supposed to be there, but since Yang was the RA, it had been allowed) had climbed into her bunk and vacated his bowels, soaking even the mattress. The maintenance crew had taken nearly three weeks to replace it, and in that time Weiss had opened up her bed and the two of them had shared. Yang and Blake had teased them for the next two years every time Zwei had climbed onto Ruby's bed after that.

Ruby smiled, a hint of excitement fairly poorly hidden on her face as she excused herself to change into her pyjamas.

 _I wouldn't have minded watching_

Weiss cursed herself for this comment as she changed into the thick, soft plaid flannel pyjamas she had brought herself. She used to wear that god-awful sleeping dress at school, but one night in a set borrowed from Blake (Zwei, again) had changed her pyjama opinion forever.

The two girls, now clad in their sleepwear, cuddled up on the bed and flicked on the rather obscene seventy-inch television and half-watched a show for a bit.

Weiss was nearly asleep at this point. She had been awake since three-thirty in the morning and all of the day's excitement had finally caught up to her. She shut off the light next to her bed, and rolled over to try and sleep, her lidded eyes fighting very hard to screw themselves shut.

But Ruby couldn't sleep.

Chapter 12

"Weiss?" Ruby asked of her pale companion. Weiss rolled over in their shared bed, clearly on the brink of falling asleep, an annoyed look crossed her face. But that much was usual, Ruby thought.

"I, uh...have something to admit."

Weiss perched herself up on her hands, concerned by her friend's tone.

"I'm listening." Weiss's words were like soft cream on fresh pancakes. Comforting.

"Remember how I said I dated Jaune?"

Weiss frowned.

"I also remember you saying you never wanted us to talk about it. In fact, you shouted it at me when I tried to comfort you."

There was a burning sensation in Ruby's chest, one that became prevalent every time his name was mentioned. Ruby was used to burning sensations, mostly after eating too much too quickly, but this was different. Like a flaming knife.

"Well, we didn't exactly have a relationship..."

There was a pause, one Ruby hadn't intended, but the burning sensation had closed off her lungs.

"...as two normal people would."

Weiss had sat fully upright, on her knees in front of her travelling companion. Her baby-blue eyes fixed themselves on Ruby's silver ones with steely determination.

"Ruby..."

"I don't think I was ever in a relationship with him..."

Ruby's voice trailed off, as the tears had come. The burning sensation was like pure lava within her chest now, and her body had begun to shake. Weiss reached a tentative hand out, but didn't touch. Ruby so wished she had.

"Ruby..."

Weiss's tone had increased in concern.

 _I can't_

"...But he was in a relationship with my...body..."

Silence.

The tears had come full force now, running down her face like a broken water main. Ruby made no noise.

 _I'm broken_

"Ruby..."

The burning sensation subsided slightly, replaced by one of warmth. There were arms around her neck and soft, silvery-white hair against her cheek. Weiss had wrapped the defeated girl in one of her famous hugs, reserved usually for loved ones.

Thing is, in there eight years of friendship, Ruby had become her loved one.

"I'm sorry" came the soft, sweet sound of Weiss's voice.

 _I'm worthless_

"But I..."

Ruby blubbered, muted by her friend's thick flannel pyjama shirt. Weiss hugged tighter.

"Don't speak."

The cuddler said, as her hand began brushing Ruby's hair.

 _Nobody will ever love me_

Ruby's inner monologue had not stopped torturing her since she had left Beacon. But today, it had began destroying her again. The boy she had once crushed on had instead crushed her. She had spent years trying to forget. But you don't really ever forget. The blond boy had not so much asked for a relationship, but taken one. Nobody knew about it because she was ashamed.

 _I'm pathetic_

"I..."

She tried to force it out, but the burning sensation had returned, and her throat was now like an arid Menagerian dessert. Weiss put her face in front of hers, an expression of guilt, acceptance, and worry lay across it.

"Ruby. We don't have to talk about it."

Weiss's hand reached Ruby's face, gently wiping away some of the river on her cheeks.

"I promise I still love you"

 _Love?_

Weiss's words changed her. The burning sensation was still there, but it had been struck down by one that felt the way that chocolate tasted. This new sensation overwhelmed her, and her broken psyche began the first infantile steps of repair.

Perhaps love was something that she needed. Real love. Eight years she had cried herself to sleep, hugging stuffed animals, taking various anxiety medications. Nothing had ever worked. Eight years of pain. Ruby's good acting skills had kept any suspicions at bay, but she couldn't act forever. Her world had started falling apart. But now there was Weiss. A plaid-pyjama'd light at the end of the tunnel.

 _Love._

"But he-"

A finger to her lips silenced her.

"Nope. No more. Only Weiss"

Weiss turned the finger on herself. The amusing sight brought a small giggle to the crying girl's lips.

"Weiss?"

The alabaster-skinned girl looked at her with a glare that clearly defined the new no-go subject.

"I love you too..."

Ruby looked away, her heart desperate to say the next three words, but her body refusing to comply. Weiss looked at her, concerned that something was wrong. Her mouth opened to say something, but Ruby cut her off, the courage to speak first finally breaking from its prison.

"...Please kiss me?"

Weiss smiled at her friend.

"You need never ask again"

Their lips came together. All of the pain washed away, replaced by only by that of sweet and perfect pleasure, as her feelings danced through her head.

Weiss is kissing me!

 _Holy shit, Weiss is kissing me._

 _Holy shit, Weiss is good at kissing._

 _Like, really good._

 _Wait, what's she doing with her tong- oh my_

 _Blake never did this_

Truth was, Blake had only ever kissed her the once, on a dare during a party game in the Team SSSN dorm Weiss and Yang hadn't been invited to. Conveniently. The kiss, which had started innocently enough had evolved into something a little more...primal.

 _Hey Ruby!_ Her mind called out to her. She tried to shoo it away and focus.

 _'Their tongues battled for dominance', am I right?_

Ruby couldn't help but giggle a little, causing her to break the otherwise overwhelmingly passionate encounter. She was panting.

 _Holy cow, I'm a pervert_

Ruby caught the gaze of Weiss, who was smiling and biting her bottom lip, a look of lust in her well-dilated eyes.

 _Yeah, but I'm her pervert._


	5. Chapter 5: Rescue

Chapter 13

The sleep Weiss got that night was absolutely blissful. Her dreams had her portraying a daring Huntress, battling hordes upon hordes of Grimm dragons, flying around with great feathered wings upon her back. She had rescued the fair maiden Rubillia the Rose, and even gotten a kiss for her efforts! The parade in her honour had been on the moon! Her friends had cheered, yelling

 _WAAA WAAA WAAA WAAA_

The sudden alarm from her scroll startled her away from her extravagant adventure. groggily, she swung her arm over to silence the intruder to her dreams. The warm mass of affection that had been spooning against her shifted in her sleep, cuddling closer.

They had fallen asleep on opposite sides of the huge king sized bed, yet somehow Ruby had crossed the eight feet of no-man's land in the middle just to be with Weiss. It was probably the cutest thing she had ever seen the girl do in the eight-odd years that she had known her. Weiss took a few minutes to enjoy the moment, and she could feel all the soft edges of her friend mush themselves against her.

 _Especially those two spots about midway down her chest_

For once, Weiss didn't force her inner pervert away, instead revelling in how her body was feeling at this moment. Warm, happy, and a bit tingly. Wait, tingly?

 _Knock, knock! It's your friend downstairs!_

Okay, _now_ was an appropriate time to shush her inner monologue. At such an early stage in their relationship, Weiss figured it was probably not acceptable to be feeling such a way, lest she be considered brusque or pushy. Although, much was to be said about her ability to hide her feelings. This was the beauty of being female, as one's inner desires weren't broadcast about the room, especially if you were wearing gym shorts. All of her evil thoughts about Ruby could be safely hidden away in her head, confined to the special place she reserved for private time.

 _Is private time now?_

"Fuck off!" Weiss whispered to herself, trying desperately to quell the feelings in her southern regions. In the early morning stages of wakefulness, her brain could barely form coherent ideas, and everything was sort of mushed together, grammar and sentence structure be damned. Very carefully uncoiling herself from her companion, Weiss went to stand up.

Except she couldn't. There was a hand holding her back. She looked down at her chest, only to find a few of the buttons on her pyjama top had been undone.

And Ruby's hand was fully cupped around her left boob.

 _This is an interesting development_

Weiss dared not make a sound, lest she wake Ruby. Very gently, she pried each finger from its hold on her pale skin, cursing as the cool air in the room touched against her now bare breast. When Ruby's sleeping hand had been finally removed, Weiss replaced her presence in the bed with one of the stuffed toys she had secretly packed in her suitcase, and a feeling of annoyance washed over her as bed-mate was quick to replace her with the small plush puppy she had procured.

Weiss stood up and quickly did the buttons on her pyjama shirt back up as she retreated to the spa-sized bathroom. She saw her reflection in the mirror. Her normally pristine white hair was quite dishevelled, looking like she had spent the night doing...less than PG-rated things, despite the fact the two of them had simply gone to bed without incident. Her face was also a mess of seriously red cheeks and a touch of smudged makeup. She hadn't gotten it all off last night, it seemed.

 _I would've liked to have gotten off last night_

Nope. Not gonna think like that today. She remembered her shirt incident. She had purposefully undone her shirt a little, hoping that Ruby would think she was sexy, despite her disappointing bust size (Adequate! Fun sized! Piss off, Yang!). Clearly, Ruby had thought she was a little more than sexy, and chose to undo one more button to get her hands on the goodies.

 _And I'm totally cool with that_

Weiss took a brush to her hair to try and tame the angry white beast. The brush pulled at her hair, the tangles fighting as they attempted to remain in place. But Weiss was stronger than the mop on her head, and soon had it under control. By the time she had finished, most of the pale girl's senses had returned to functioning order and alerted her to the misery that was in her mouth. Her morning breath tasted like _death incarnate._ Pulling the toothbrush out of its plastic holder in her bag, Weiss enjoyed the happy sensation of the mint-flavoured paste as it removed the offending taste.

 _Gotta taste good for Ruby_

She caught herself looking at the shower. No time this morning, she figured. There will be time for one tonight, after we get to _my_ choice of hotels. Weiss finished with her teeth and went back into the room proper. She eyed the coffee machine, then Ruby, still asleep. Would she try to kiss her good morning, or would she have her coffee first? She strolled over to the machine, opened the tin of instant, and took a whiff.

 _Fuck me, definitely kiss first._

The aroma from the can was most certainly not the fine Mistralian-press variety that Klein made her every morning, but one of preservative-filled cheap trash that monkey would have cluelessly called coffee if asked to choose between this and a brick. But coffee was coffee, and Weiss needed her fix.

But first, she needed her Ruby.

Strolling over to the edge of the bed, she undid the shirt buttons she had undone, followed the one Ruby had, as well as the one below that. This was her being _seriously_ bold. She parted the top enough at the front to seem like she hadn't noticed, but enough that she hoped the brunette in their bed _would_ notice. Weiss kneeled beside the bed where Ruby's head lay, and gently shook the sleepy girl awake.

"Good morning, Ruby! It's time to wake up!" She said, stretching up the 'up' so it was more than two syllables long. Ruby opened her eyes, squinting and making a pained noise.

"No, it's still sleepytime" Her friend mumbled, shutting her eyes again.

"If Ruby doesn't wake up, she'll miss her morning smooch"

Weiss said this musically, leaning her head closer to Ruby's face. That had worked. Ruby was now fully awake, eyes wide and an excited smile on her face.

Weiss was suddenly pulled back onto the bed and onto Ruby's lap, and she now sat straddling the girl who not twenty seconds before was off in laa-laa land. Two eager hands clasped themselves around her body, pulling her in, a look of desire on the silver eyes before her.

"Okay, okay, calm down, Rose-Petal!"

She was a little shocked at the sudden display of wanton passion. She could feel the body below her shudder at the nickname, the pleasure pooling off her.

Weiss gently reached her head down to Ruby's and planted her lips upon the very inviting ones of her companion. The feeling was so much better than the one she had experienced in her dream, and the girl before her was infinitely more beautiful than the Ruby-facsimile her mind had created for her. The kiss lasted for what seemed to Weiss like two or three hours, but in reality had only been about two or three minutes. Finally separating, Weiss could see Ruby's body pouting as her lips parted again. She briefly thought about kissing her again.

 _Fuck it, let's do it_

Weiss once more embraced the soft pillows of Ruby's lips in her own, and held herself there for a few seconds. Parting again, she pulled herself off of the panting girl and walked back over to the coffee maker. Now she had had her pleasure, it was time for the pain. Of _hotel coffee._

Chapter 14

 _There was heaven in her hands._

The warm brown drink that Weiss had placed in her hands was likely the single best smelling thing since fresh laundry or spent rifle rounds. And certainly the best tasting. Ruby sat on the edge of the bed, still in her pyjamas, and sipped the delicious liquid in her mug

 _This is what love feels like, I bet_

There was no way that the coffee this hotel served was in any way legal, because nothing legal would have tasted this _good_. Ruby was not normally a coffee drinker, but seeing as they had to get up at six in the morning she had graciously accepted the cup from the disgusted-looking Weiss. _Odd,_ she had thought, as she knew Weiss normally liked this sort of highbrow expensive stuff. Ruby shrugged at the memory.

"Hey Rubes, I'm just gonna get changed, do you mind if I do it here?" Her companion mused, causing Ruby to return her focus back to the room.

"Uh, sure? D'you want me to go into the bathroom, or..."

Ruby's eyes shot open as she watched her friend begin undoing her shirt once more. She was trapped as life seemed to briefly happen in slow-motion as the woman in front of her undid each button one by one. Slowly, methodically. Ruby's heart stopped.

 _This girl is hazardous to my health_

She could only sit, frozen as Weiss reached her hands back up to the lapel of her shirt and went to remove it entirely. Ruby's conscience got the better of her here, and immediately screwed her eyes shut, much to her own annoyance.

"Weiss! What are you _doing_?!"

Ruby nearly shouted, turning away from the sight she had been enjoying.

"I uh, don't understand? You said you were fine with me changing here? It's not like you haven't seen it before, we were roommates for four years."

Ruby kept her eyes shut and crossed her arms.

"Yeah, but this is different. It's just too...personal. Not that i don't want it, of course..." She was quick to add. "...I just...don't know if we're supposed to... yet"

The bedding beside her shifted, and two arms found their way around her torso. Weiss now sat beside her, one of her famous hugs was now working it's way into the scared girl.

"Hey, listen. I'm sorry I rushed you. I can understand if you are not comfortable yet."

There was a kiss placed on her cheek.

"But we do really need to get dressed. Again, I'm sorry."

Ruby opened her eyes. Weiss had stood up from the bed, had collected her clothes and was strolling to the bathroom. Ruby called after.

"Weiss, wait!" The girl turned "I uh, actually...wouldn't mind watching..."

The last part was mumbled more than it was spoken as Ruby had turned bright red in her seat. Weiss smiled, strolled back over to Ruby and placed a hand on her shoulder.

"Maybe if you're good"

Weiss said, with a wink for good measure. Ruby probably fainted.

Chapter 15

After she had come to her senses and stopped the imaginary blood from flowing out her nose, Ruby got up off the bed to go change and make her face suitable for human viewing. Pulling what she hoped was a good outfit from her bag, Ruby pulled off her pj's and stood for a moment, admiring her naked self in the mirror.

 _That scar..._

The offending tissue glared back at her. Two years prior, there had been an incident on a mission where Ruby had been blindsided by a pack of Beowolves, and having not expected them, fell victim to the sharp claws. The scar looked like she had been given a c-section with a mostly-dull cleaver, and the doctor had even missed a few times. Even Weiss's own scar, which was on her _eye,_ paled in comparison. She felt so...

 _Ugly_

No amount of therapy had fixed _this_ issue. But this was not the time to be toying with her own emotions. Ruby shut her eyes, took a deep breath, and said

"I am Beautiful. There is nothing I cannot do. I. Am Ruby Rose."

Her last therapist had told her to say that mantra once daily, and the day she opened her eyes and saw herself smiling, all would be good. There would be no more pain.

Ruby opened her eyes. She wasn't smiling.

Sighing, she pulled on her clothes, the soft black cotton pants warm on her legs, the hoodie as comforting as her mother's hugs. Except she could no longer take comfort in them. She hadn't had one in twenty years. A single tear came to her eye as she recalled the woman's brave sacrifice in the name of Remnant.

Ruby stood up straight and stared at herself again, a determined look in her face.

"Be strong for Weiss. Be strong for you. We're counting on it."

She brought a smile to her lips by force and departed the bathroom, to see Weiss now dressed in yesterday's cargo pants and a new black turtleneck. A long white coat had been put on as well. Ruby actually thought Weiss looked pretty good, despite her previous dismal attitude. She spoke up.

"Time to go?"

Weiss nodded, and they left the room.

The two girls were back down in the lobby, having just checked out a few minutes prior. Ruby lounged on one of the expensive couches, and watched as Weiss stood at the valet desk, asking to get their car back. It was her turn to drive, after all.

"Red VHI Blaze-Charger, room 636. Should be under the name 'Rose'?" The short woman asked of the man at the desk.

"Of course, Madam, it will be brought around"

They watched as a suit-wearing man who stood an easy six-foot-seven pulled the burgundy truck around, and deposited the keys in Weiss's hand. Weiss smiled at him, and the man smiled back, walking away while saying something barely audible under his breath in Atlesian. Something Weiss had heard.

"... _Schmutzig schwuleren_ _._.."

This man may have been something like two hundred and fifty pounds, likely all muscle. This hadn't stopped the White Storm. Ruby could see emotion in her partner's eyes, one only described as _raw fury._ She could only watch as Weiss strolled up behind the offending valet, spin him around and slam him into a wall, facing her. She yelled at him in Atlesian, as he had clearly hadn't expected her to be fluent.

" _Würden Sie klug sein, meine Freundin zu respektieren_ _. Sie wollen mich nicht wiedersehen_."

The words came from her mouth in a calm tone, but the amount of hatred that was packed behind it could stop a Goliath in it's tracks. The man had turned pale, paler even than the monster that was before him. Whatever he had said, Weiss took offence to, and judging by the way that that the man had turn to look at Ruby, clearly it was about her.

" _Schau mich an, Fickfehler_..." Weiss lowered her voice and pointed a menacing finger at the man "... _Nie weider_..."

Weiss released the man from the wall and walked back over, taking Ruby's hand in her own as she pulled her out to the car, still very clearly fuming. Once in the car, Weiss fired up the old engine and looked over at Ruby, who still had no idea what had happened.

"I apologize for what I'm about to do to your tires." she said, dropping the column lever all the way down into first gear. "But they said some rather poor things about us."

 _Bring the pain, Sexy_

Ruby smiled and nodded, as Weiss lay her foot all the way into the floorboards with her right foot, the rear tires unhooking as the four-hundred-fifty cubic inch V8 turned the expensive snow tires into acrid white smoke as they left the xenophobic place in a hurry.

 _Weiss is hot when she's angry_

Chapter 16

 _I called her my girlfriend!_

 _Without even thinking!_

 _Holy shit!_

Weiss was still shaking in her seat ten minutes later back on the highway, shocked at her own outburst. She had even dug up an old swear word she hadn't used in so many years on the man. _Fickfehler._ Loosely translated, she had said he was an unplanned mistake on his parent's behalf. Literally he was a fucking error. _Damn right he was._

Weiss could now understand why she remembered that particular hotel. Her father had taken her there back when he still owned the SDC, so it made sense that this establishment would share his less...accepting views. She suddenly realized that _all_ of the places her father took her to shared this same view.

 _I suppose I shouldn't be as mad as I am. Ruby handled it well._

The snow was thicker today, falling in great heavy lumps as if the snow was trying to form snowballs as it fell. The road was properly covered now, the mile markers being the only indication there was road at all. The truck tracked straight and true through the thick pack, the expensive snow tires digging in. _No car should be without these,_ Weiss thought to herself as she gently weaved back and forth in her lane to test the tires. It truly was like they were on dry pavement.

Weiss let off the accelerator, as she had been plowing along now at just over one hundred, approaching a car that was travelling along the road with them. Keeping a fair distance, Weiss decided it would be best to just slow down and cruise behind her fellow road user, just in case anything bad were to happen. Weiss did the math. Since they were now travelling at half the speed, they would take twice the time, but only use about two-thirds the fuel.

"Hey Ruby, could you check the map for me and tell me where the next gas stop is?"

Her partner woke up from whatever day dream she was having "Uh, yeah sure. Uh...should be exit 735, in about four hundred kilometres."

"And how far to the next available stop after that?"

"Judging by the kinda vague scale in the corner, about fifty or so kilometres past."

That wasn't so bad, she thought. They'd probably make the hotel by about eleven at this rate. Just enough time for a shower.

 _With Ruby_

Uh-uh. Nope. Focus on driving. Plenty of time for distractions later.

 _Like Ruby_

Weiss's brain was trying to kill her. It had diverted all of the blood from her other organs and extremities directly into her cheeks. There was no discernible reason for her to be thinking like this! Ruby was her friend!

 _With benefits_

Weiss made a pained noise of exasperation. Her partner perked her head up at this, turning to look at her.

"Something the matter, Weiss-Cream?"

"No, no, it's fine. Just frustrated is all. Actually, can you hand me my scroll?"

Ruby complied, and Weiss quickly dialed an all-too familiar number. The line buzzed.

"Hey Sandy, it's me. Yeah, I'm doing pretty good!" There was a pause. Ruby shifted uncomfortably in her seat.

"Hey, listen, are you near your computer right now? You are? Perfect! Would you mind terribly telling me the market value of the Chateau Horlage?"

There was a pause. Weiss's eyes widened

" _Reeeeally_?"

All was going well in the Federated States of Weiss. This was her chance to get back at the homophobic owners of the place that had insulted her so. It was well within her budget, should she desire. But it seemed...petty. A little childish, too.

 _But it would be great to knock down, eh?_

Not this time. This time, Weiss thought, it was time to handle things like an adult. Like a proper business person.

"Alright. Let the owner know that my company would like to purchase the property rights for the Chateau, and that building permits have been approved to construct a Gay and Lesbian nightclub. No, such permits have not already been approved. Just make them think that. Not as a threat, just like a... aggressive proposition. Ok? Perfect, thank you Sandy. You're the best." Weiss hung up.

Her personal assistant had just agreed to help her fix the problem of Chateau Horlage. It wasn't going to be destroyed, just incentivised to be more accepting.

"Weiss, look out!"

Her eyes fell forward again. There was a flash of brake lights ahead. Then the car they had been following left the road.

"Shit!"

Weiss cried out, stabbing both her feet into the wide brake pedal. The big truck's antique anti-lock system shuddered violently as it tried to keep the mass moving in a straight line. Weiss deftly sawed at the wheel, keeping the nearly three-tonne vehicle from leaving the road as well. Finally coming to a halt, Weiss could see that the car they had been following for the past twenty minutes, a blue Sanus Motors Elude crossover, had travelled about ten metres off the edge of the road, into the snow that was likely a metre and change deep. Thankfully the blue vehicle was still on it's wheels.

"Holy hell! We need to help them!"

Ruby, ever the team leader, nearly shouted as she dove out the passenger door. Weiss quickly put the truck in park and hit the flashers. Grabbing her gloves from where they had fallen on the floor, she joined her companion out in the winter air, watching the anxious girl trudge through the thick white powder to the crashed car. Realizing her mistake, she reached back into the cab and grabbed Ruby's coat, which the latter had forgotten in her haste.

"Ruby! Your Coat!" she called, the thick snow freezing against her pants. Thank the gods she had agreed to wear pants again today, instead of the skirt she had been planning. Ruby had reached the driver door of the small blue crossover, and was knocking on the window. Weiss came up beside her as the driver, a scared looking deer-faunus, rolled the window down.

"Sir! Are you alright?!" Ruby asked, wide eyed and clearly scared as well.

"I-I'm ok. Nothing damaged in here" the man said with a weary grin "Except maybe my ego"

Weiss's heart resumed beating after the short stress-induced heart-attack. She draped the jacket she was holding over her partner's shoulders, and peered in the car. There was the deer-faunus, a dark-skinned woman she guessed was the man's wife, and very luckily no sign of any children. That would have been difficult to deal with.

"Please, if you would step out of the vehicle, I'm sure we can get you unstuck." Weiss said, confident that Ruby would be able to come up with some sort of plan. The man in the car tried to open his door, by the deep snow prevented it.

"I guess this won't be very dignified. Stay here, sweetie, I'll come and dig you out."

The man spoke sideways to his passenger. _Probably his wife,_ Weiss thought. The man began pulling himself out of his open window, allowing the two girls who had come to his rescue steady him so he wouldn't fall into the snow. Weiss could feel the man's muscular shoulders and toned arms, likely from being a hunter, as she extracted him. Once he was standing on his own two feet, the man scratched his head and introduced himself.

"Sorry for the display. The name's Redmond Braun. The lovely lady in the car is my wife, Rosa. I, uh, may have lost control a little."

Ruby beamed at the man

"I'm Ruby, and this lovely lady is my Weiss."

 _Wait, YOUR Weiss?_

 _I like the way that sounds, actually_

"We'd be happy to assist you, sir" Weiss said, shivering a little. It was cold, but not as bad as it had been yesterday. Only a few degrees below.

"One of you two wouldn't happen to be an RAA member would you? I left my membership card in my other coat and I don't remember the number."

Weiss couldn't stop the sly grin from crossing her face. "Well, you might just be the luckiest man around, today sir. For I am Weiss Schnee, CEO of the SDC, which happens to _own_ the Remnant Automobile Association. So you don't need your card today."

Both Ruby and Redmond looked at her, a little dumbfounded. Her company had created the RAA as a marketing technique to provide "free" roadside assistance to, and reach out to the faunus workers in the...SDC dust mines...

 _Are you serious? This is somehow also offensive? My father's an asshole!_

Mentally making note to address this subtle racism at the next board meeting, Weiss wiped the sour expression from her face and replaced it with one of helpfulness.

"Ruby, how would you recommend we assist the fine gentleman?"

Ruby looked puzzled for a moment, looking first at the blue Elude, then to her own Blaze-Charger, then the snow. An idea was forming in her head, Weiss could see the synapses forming new 'help everybody' circuits behind those _gorgeous_ silver eyes.

"Okay. How's this sound. My truck has a winch on it, but it's only rated for eight thousand pounds, and I don't know how much resistance that the snow will give us. The cable is rated for twenty thousand, so we could just use it as a recovery rope."

The man seemed pleased by this, and the three of them put Ruby's plan into action. Weiss got back behind the wheel of the red truck, Ruby began pulling the cable out, and Redmond used a shovel that Ruby kept in her truck and dug his wife out. When the hook of the winch had been snagged on the trailer hitch of Redmond's car, he got back in as Ruby trudged back out of the ditch.

Ruby returned to the front bumper of her truck and grabbed the winch remote, and tried to get the winch to pull itself taught. When it hadn't, She said the three words that made Weiss laugh harder than she ever had before.

"S _WISS FUCKIN' CHEESE, why won't you work?_!"

Ruby's yell was both uncalled for and amusing. It made Weiss chuckle as she watched the woman through the windshield, smacking the remote against the steel brush-guard. Unplugging the remote from the winch, Weiss watched as Ruby eyed the plug connectors, and rolled her eyes. There was corrosion on the old plug as it hadn't been used in many years, and Ruby was quick to scrape it off with a screwdriver she had conveniently located in her pocket. Plugging it back in, Weiss watched as the cable was pulled taught. Ruby yelled something at her over the low rumbling of the big engine.

"Put it in four-low! Lock it up!"

Weiss looked around for something labelled as such, and upon finding the lever that was tucked way up against the firewall, pulled it all the way back into the position called '4-lo'. She rolled the window down and beckoned Ruby over.

"What do you mean by 'lock it up?' do you want me to lock the doors?"

Ruby jumped up on the running board and leaned into the cab.

"No, see that pull switch on the console?"

Weiss looked where she was pointing

"Pull that out and both differentials will be locked. Wait for the green light on the dash before moving. That system was expensive to install. I've had to repair it a few times myself"

Ruby gave her a sheepish expression. Despite her mechanical knowledge she could still be clumsy. _Adorably so._

"Can I get a kiss for good luck?" Weiss asked, being a little bolder than usual. Ruby smiled at her devilishly.

"Now who's eager?"

Ruby gave her a taunting smile, before planting a quick peck on her lips and jumping down from the tall vehicle.

"Okay! Back it up!"

Weiss put the truck into reverse and felt the whole machine shudder as the low-ratio gears transferred all six-hundred-and-seventy-five newton metres of torque to the ground. Very gently pushing the accelerator, she could feel the front end shift itself to the right as it slipped into line with the back of the blue crossover it was tethered to. A bit more throttle and Weiss could feel each of the truck's eight cylinders try to hurl themselves through the heads as the revs climbed. It made a truly _raunchy_ noise. Weiss was enjoying it a bit too much.

" _Keep going! It's coming free!"_

She could see Ruby mouth to her over the cacophony of muscle. The blue Elude was indeed coming free, as Redmond spun his wheels in reverse to try and aid the big truck. It took a few minutes and a few thousand rpm but eventually Weiss had pulled the stuck vehicle from the deep snow of the ditch. Redmond and Rosa returned to their car after many rounds of handshakes and thank-yous and were on their way. The two girls sat in the truck for a few minutes, enjoying the good feeling that helping someone brought.

"You know, Weiss?" Ruby spoke first "I've been a Huntress for five years now, and that was the first time I actually felt like I was helping someone. And there wasn't any Grimm involved!"

Weiss smiled at her friend, and thought about her own line of work. She had spent the past five years as CEO undoing every misdeed and illegal action her father had implemented to try and bring her company back to the way it was when her grandfather, Nicholas Schnee, had owned it some thirty-five years prior.

"I feel the same way, Ruby."

"I love you."

"I love you too"

They kissed again.


	6. Chapter 6: Liebesdorf

Chapter 17

It had been a few hours since the two heroes rescued the stuck motorist, and were now on their way to the first fuel stop of the day in a little seaside town. Weiss had insisted they listen to her collection of classical music CD's, to which she received much pouting from the radio producer in the passenger seat.

"Classical music rots your brain!" the cheerful brunette said, refusing to allow the CD's near her aftermarket stereo.

"Rock and Roll is engaging! It lets you relax!"

This comment garnered a shocked expression from her driver.

"Rock music is hazardous to one's health! Classical actually stimulates brain _grown_ , not brain rot! It literally exists to make you smarter, Rubes." the white-haired girl said with a smile. Ruby knew she couldn't be mad at her, for Weiss liked her too much. Obviously.

"Hey actually, can you check the map and tell me how far from the next stop we are? The fuel level's getting a little on the low side."

"Yeah, hang on just one second" Ruby said, digging around in the glovebox for the cheap map she had brought. Looking out the windshield, she waited for the next mile-marker. Checking her map again and using an old pair of compasses to gauge the distance on the paper, she was pretty certain they were about forty or so kilometres from the next exit.

"How fast are we going?" she asked.

"About ninety?"

Ruby pulled out her scroll and plugged in a quick calculation. She wasn't as quick as Weiss when it came to math or logic puzzles. The damn girl had a computer in her head, it seemed.

"Should be about forty-five minutes, give or take. Want to play a game?"

"What did you have in mind? I can't exactly play chess while I'm driving. Although I probably could still beat you"

Ruby frowned, but chuckled at this anyways.

"Yeah, because you're a nerd. But you're _my_ nerd."

Weiss smiled at Ruby, blushing a little.

"Okay, how's this. It's a game I like to call 'Million Lien But', and Yang and I used to play it all the time. It's very simple. I offer you a million lien, but there's a catch. Something you'd have to do forever now should you choose to accept."

"Kinda like 'Would You Rather,' but with cash on the line?"

"Exactly!" Ruby beamed "So I'll start us off. You get a million lien..."

Weiss interrupted "That's a lot of money"

"BUT... Whenever someone asks for your ID..." Ruby paused, thinking for a moment "You face plant for the next five steps you take."

"That seems awfully painful. I don't know if...Wait, only five steps?"

"Yeah. Each time you get carded. Or have to show your passport. Or get asked to see your company card. The next five steps you would go face-to-concrete like clockwork."

"Hmm. Million lien, though... I feel like I need to have a presentable face more often then I ever need to show any identification, and as a person of my standing, such tomfoolery might not be appreciated."

"I'd do it. In a heartbeat! Think of all the cars I could buy!"

"No, see, I don't think I could. I have to show ID at least four times a day, and I don't think there's enough facial reconstructive surgeons in Atlas to deal with twenty face plants a day. Can't do it"

Ruby laughed at the thought of Weiss falling on her face. A good excuse to kiss her on the nose, of course.

"Alright. I think you've got the hang of this. Your turn, Weiss."

Ruby watched as Weiss's eyes narrowed, her intelligent brain working efficiently to come up with a question that would stump her.

"You get a million lien..." There was a pause. Ruby raised her eyebrow at her friend.

 _Do your worst, I have never lost a dime!_

"But...Every time you pass a police officer, all of the food in your house spontaneously expires."

 _Well damn. She's good._

"Huh. I, uh, don't know if I could. I drive past a police precinct every day I go to the radio station, and there is always like two officers outside smoking. I don't know if I could afford to replace my whole food supply that often."

"But you'd have a million lien. You would never have to buy food again. Just have lunch and dinner out every day!"

Ruby's face brightened. "Hey, that's right! If there's no food in my house, there's no food to go bad!"

"You could have a different kind of food for every meal!" Weiss seemed pretty into this now. "Spicy food on Monday, Vacuan sushi on Tuesday, traditional Valean meat pies on Wednesday...The list goes on!"

"You sound like you'd want to take the money too, Weiss-Cream." Ruby said, amused at her friend's enjoyment of the game. Weiss winced a little.

"Well, see, I don't know. Having lunch and dinner out every day would be nice, especially if I could do it with you, but it would mean every time I saw a cop I'd have to call Klein and tell him to re-stock the fridges and pantries with the thousands of lien worth of food we have at the manor. We do serve international guests often enough that this might pose a problem."

 _What was that about lunch with me?_

"So no, I'm afraid I'd have to say no to this one. Your turn!" She poked a finger into Ruby's ribs. Ruby laughed.

"Okay, million lien, but..." Oh she had a good one alright "Every time you hear someone say 'I love you', you temporarily lose one of your five senses."

Weiss frowned for a moment. "How long is temporarily?"

"Uh, five minutes. But it happens every time."

Weiss nodded, still thinking. Ruby watched as a sly smile crept across her lips.

"Ruby, I love you!"

"Fuck, now I can't see!"

"So you would take the money? You realize there's a one in five chance you'll be briefly deaf, blind, or have no taste, and that means you won't be able to hear me compliment you. Or watch me undress. Or taste cookies!"

 _Okay, the cookies thing I can live without, if only briefly. But not the Weiss things._

"Nope, I'm not taking the money. Not in a million years. Not if _that's_ at stake." She winked at her driver. She silently cursed herself for letting Weiss beat her this round. The score was still two-to-one in her favour. Better to get even more ahead, she thought.

"Okay, you win. Congrats on being the first person to get me to reject the cash."

"Yay me!" Weiss said, pumping her fist a little. "My turn!"

Ruby leaned back in her seat and put her socked feet up on the dash.

"Hit me with your best shot. You ain't gonna win this time" Weiss smiled at her again.

"Watch me. You get a million lien, but whenever someone compliments you, you have to eat a child's birthday cake."

Ruby pondered this "You mean like one just appears and you have to eat it?"

"Nope. You hear a compliment, you have to stop what you are doing right then and there and _search out_ a child's birthday party and completely consume the cake in front of everyone."

 _I can't be a dick to children!_

"Hmm. I don't know about this one. I love cake and all, but I feel like I'd get beat up by angry parents too often. And some cakes just wouldn't be worth it."

"I know I would do it for sure!" the ice princess cheered "I'd just flash my SDC credit card and buy the snotty brat a new cake! Or I'd just hire a baker to follow me around with a van full of replacement cakes for the one I was about to steal!"

"Wait, I think I may have come up with a way around this. I could adopt three-hundred-and-sixty-five children, each one having been born on a different day, that way any time I got complimented I could just go home and eat the cake that was being served there! I wouldn't have to ever steal cake from little kids!"

Weiss laughed out loud at this. "I'm glad you said adopt, Rubes. Can you imagine what having three hundred kids would do to your body?"

Ruby winced and forced away the bad thoughts.

 _She doesn't know about it yet. Don't ruin the game._

"I...can't..."

 _have children_

" _..._ believe you beat me two times in a row!" Ruby said, forcing her trademark smile to her face.

"Maybe I should play your sister. Might knock her ego down a few pegs." came the reply. Lucky for Ruby, Weiss hadn't noticed the momentary bout of sadness. They didn't need a repeat of yesterday, she thought.

"Okay, get off your high horse. So. You get a million lien. But. Every time you laugh..."

"I'm listening"

"Like, proper laugh. From the soul. Full body workout kind of laugh. Think Nora!"

"I gotcha."

"You can only tell the truth for the rest of the day."

Weiss made a pained noise and pouted.

"You know I am the CEO of a multi-national corporation, it's in my job description to lie to people. I can't tell my competitors any secrets, I have to lie to the gate-guard when I sneak out for lunch, I lie all the time! Plus, I have never told father the truth about anything after Beacon. Especially not you."

"I'll take the money." Ruby deadpanned. She knew she could. She hadn't laughed for real in eight years. Not since _him._ And most certainly not since the disfiguring attack.

"I guess you win. Damn, I thought I had you. Here's our exit, number seven-thirty-five, Liebesdorf. I'll take you out for lunch because you won!"

"That's the only reason?" Ruby jested, pleased that her friend liked her enough to offer her lunch. They pulled off at the exit.

"Well, also because I like you so much. Some might call it love."

Ruby blushed. Weiss seemed to be excellently good at making her feel better. Even though 'excellently good' was not a real phrase, Ruby thought it best described her feelings toward her friend.

 _I need her around._

"I love you too. Obviously."

The town of Liebesdorf was a small seaside village just off the main highway. All the buildings were small, quaint little structures reminiscent of seventeenth-century Atlesian architecture. It was a cute little town, Ruby thought as they drove down the main street, watching a few vendors shovelling snow from their front walks. Weiss was going to buy her lunch here? Ruby wondered if they'd have cheeseburgers.

 _Weiss probably wouldn't want that, it's too pedestrian_

They rounded a corner, onto a road that ran along the sea. A few boardwalk shops came in to view, and Ruby noticed a very familiar sign hanging out front of one store down the road. She nearly jumped through the windshield, she was so excited.

"Weiss! Look! Music Store!"

The seat belt held the excited girl in place. Music was Ruby's third passion, right after guns and cars, and any chance she could get to visit a music store she took. This was no different.

"Calm down, Ruby. We can go there after lunch." Weiss said, firmly yet still amused.

Ruby wanted to argue, but her stomach growled as if to agree with Weiss. Her friend smiled at the angry noise that had come from her stomach. Weiss pulled the truck into a spot along the side of the road, parallel parking behind a rather expensive-looking Atlas AG sedan.

"C'mon, Rose-Petal. I bet there's somewhere nice on the pier."

Ruby shivered at the nickname again, stepping out of her truck and onto the sidewalk. She strolled up beside her friend and they began to move towards the pier.

 _That name is my weakness! Damn Weiss and her use of it!_

"Hey Weiss?" Ruby asked, shaking a little.

"Yeah, Ruby?"

Weiss turned her head to look at her. Such beautiful blue eyes, she had, and Ruby briefly forgot her question.

"Can I, uh...h-hold your hand?"

Weiss laughed at her, pulled her hand out on her pocket and intertwined her fingers in Ruby's hand.

"You really don't have to ask. You can always hold my hand" Weiss said, causing a flutter to come to Ruby's chest. A doctor would tell her that this was a sign of heart disease, she figured.

 _I want Weiss-related heart problems, damn it!_

The two girls turned their stroll onto the pier, a great wooden structure that hung out over the sea by a hundred metres. The hardwood floor creaked under their boots as they walked past the few vendors that lined the pier. Snow was falling gently now, a nice break from the blizzard they had fought through this morning, and the air was not as unpleasant, either.

"Can I interest you in Poutine, Rubes?"

Ruby turned to where Weiss was pointing. A small serving cart sat at the end of the pier, attended by a thin-looking faunus man with fluffy pink earmuffs over what Ruby guessed were wolf ears. _You could interest me in anything,_ she thought to herself. Ruby smiled and nodded, and Weiss pulled them over to the little cart.

" _Guten Tag_. Two, please, good sir."

Weiss ordered for them, and the cheerful-looking faunus was quick to make two small paper bowls filled with fries, gravy, and cheese. The heat from the deep-fryer was making great clouds of steam around them, acting like a little space heater in the cold winter air.

" _Danke! Auf Wiedersehen!_ " Weiss said to the man as she took the food from him, handing over a few small bills and some coinage. Ruby took the warm paper bowl she was given and held it in her hands. It was a gravy-scented hand-warmer, and Ruby was pretty sure this is what love smelled like. They continued to the end of the pier and sat on an ornate wrought-iron bench that overlooked the sea. Picking up the green plastic fork that was sticking out of the food, Ruby took a bite of the warm fries.

 _This tastes like sex._

The warmth of the gravy flowed through her, and she subconsciously relaxed her shoulders and slumped down on the bench. Weiss chuckled at her, sitting upright in her seat, somehow making the action of eating the messy dish look dignified.

"I want to have this every day for every meal all the time" Ruby said, slurred. The cheese curds had melted in her mouth and were currently overwhelming her with flavour.

"This is fantastic, why have I never heard of this food?"

Weiss grinned, as if she had some well-kept secret about the mysteries of Poutine.

"Well you see, if you let me take you out on dates more often, you might have known about this sooner."

"You have to take me out on all the dates!"

Ruby nearly shouted, bolting upright on the bench. Weiss took another fork-full of poutine and ate it, smiling at her friend.

"I suppose I could schedule in a few days in- _shit_!"

Weiss was cut off as a splotch of gravy fell from her fork and onto her coat. Her cheerful expression turned to one of worry.

"Oh, fuck me!"

 _Gladly!_

Ruby giggled at her friend's misfortune, pulling out a napkin to try and wipe off the offending food.

"No, no, Ruby, it's alright. I will have Klein work his magic on this when we return. Gods, this coat was like six thousand lien. I've only worn it once, and look! I spilled gravy on it!"

Weiss tried to sound upset, but her voice portrayed more of an amused annoyance. She smiled, that very same smile Ruby had become enamoured with. Weiss reached up and brushed some of her messy bangs out of her face, still somehow smiling after ruining her coat. _She truly is beautiful,_ Ruby thought, turning away so Weiss couldn't see how giddy she looked.

 _Today, I fell in love._

Chapter 18

Weiss looked out over the sea, the calm blue of the water as it crashed softly against the pier's support pillars. It was truly blissful, she thought, to be here with Ruby, the girl she loved. This town must be magical.

"Hey, Ruby?"

"Yeah, Weiss?" Her companion replied, putting her head on her shoulder.

"Do you know why this town is called Liebesdorf?" asked, turning to give the soft brown hair next to her cheek a quick kiss.

"Because someone named Liebes founded it many years ago?"

Weiss chuckled at this

"No, not quite. There was a young man named Einsam, who was a solitary sailor on these seas. Legend has it he sailed a three-masted galleon named _F_ _ür Immer_ all by himself with no crew."

Weiss paused for a second to take another bite of poutine. Ruby nuzzled up closer into the crook of her neck. Such a sight warmed her more than the massive fireplace back at the manor.

"So the story goes that one day, he came across a landmass that was covered in snow. He could not see any place to land his ship and come ashore as there was miles of sheer cliff face in each direction. He chose at random to turn his ship to the right and follow the coastline east. The cold winter air froze him and his ship so badly that he couldn't let go of the wheel."

Weiss paused again for more poutine. As good as her story was, the poutine would get cold if she didn't eat it.

"He sailed for fifty days in the freezing temperatures before stumbling across a tiny seaside house, lit only by a small fire inside. Einsam crashed his ship into the beach and found his way down onto the ground, but he could advance no further as the cold had taken it's toll on his body."

Weiss looked down at her friend, who was staring back up at her with worry in her silver eyes. Weiss smiled.

"He was awoken a week later in the little cabin he had spotted. A young maiden sat at the foot of his bed. She had seen him crash and had brought him inside to keep him warm. Her name was Sofie Retter, and she swore to the man that she would heal him and keep him safe. He would only smile at her, as she had captured his heart."

Ruby stole some poutine out of her dish, warranting her a gentle smack on the wrist.

"They fell madly in love, of course, and decided to live in her little cabin for the rest of their lives. Soon, fellow settlers landed upon the beach and a small town was born. Einsam and Sofie named the little town as Liebesdorf, because it is the place where the lonely sailor found love. You see, _liebe_ translated into Valean means _love._ Liebesdorf has always been a place where people go to find their soulmates. It is considered lucky in Atlesian legend."

An arm was put around her midsection as Ruby cuddled herself closer. Weiss smiled down at her friend, and they had both abandoned the empty food bowls on the other side of the bench. For once, Weiss was sure that she was happy, and that no amount of her father telling her off could ruin this moment. Gravy-stained coat and all.

"Hey Weiss?"

"Yes, Ruby?"

There was a pause. Ruby sat up and looked her in the eye. Weiss could see that whatever Ruby was about to say was very important, because even as jumpy as her companion usually was, she never made this much sustained eye contact.

"I think I'm in love with you."

 _HOLY FUCK, WHAT?_

Weiss's heart stopped. These words had been the ones she had been waiting for eight years, the ones she never imagined would ever be spoken, and ones she knew she wanted to say back. A solitary tear of joy came to her eye, and she refused to brush it away. Ruby was the only person she ever wanted to see her cry. She opened her mouth, and her nerves almost tried to launch her heart out of her mouth.

"I'm… I'm in love with you too."

The girl across from her on the bench smiled, seeming to need to not cry as well.

"Can I-"

Weiss cut off Ruby's obvious question by leaning over and placing her lips upon those of her friend. Fireworks erupted in her head as she kissed the girl she had always pined over. The girl who unknowingly teased her at school for _four gods-damn years._ The girl whose radio show she listened to more diligently than she ever paid attention in class. A girl, she loved.

 _A girl who loves me._

Weiss broke the kiss after a minute or so and stood up off the bench. Looking down at her friend, she could see a hint of confusion in her face, as she held out her hand to help Ruby up.

"C'mon. I promised I'd take you to the music store. You can hold my hand, if you want."

Ruby smiled, and for once in a very long time, her eyes were bright. They were happy.

Chapter 19.

 _I've died and gone to heaven._

Ruby was certain that there was no way she could be this happy in real life. She was with the girl she loved, in a beautiful little town, had just eaten probably the single greatest food on the face of Remnant, and was now in a _freaking music store!_ The small store was called Cook's Music, staffed only by a middle-aged gentleman in a cardigan, who's faded name tag still read 'Wayne'. The walls were lined with shiny guitars and the floors with amplifiers, cabinet speakers and head units. She had entered a state of nirvana.

Ruby traced her fingers over one of the hanging guitars, a bright red open-body electric, and imagined herself playing it. The bronzed fretboard and pearl inserts teased her, she so wanted to take it off the wall and try it. There was nothing to say she couldn't, but the four-thousand-lien price tag made her think twice. Weiss walked up behind her and whispered in her ear.

"See something you like?"

"Yeah, actually" Ruby said, referring to the guitar she was admiring. "This one is nice. Mahogany top, open body, dual humbucking pick-ups."

"You like it because it's red."

Ruby snorted at this "Entirely!"

The quiet shop owner spoke up from his desk.

"I have patch cords back here if you wanted to try it."

Ruby gave the shop owner a pained look as if to say 'it's too expensive', but he held up the black chord and presented it to them. Ruby took the chord as he came around the desk and brought the guitar down from the wall, turning on a rather worn-looking old 'Blue' branded amplifier.

"Blaine guitars, vintage style. Got this one in about a month ago. Really nice sound."

Ruby took the guitar and sat on one of the barstools that littered the shop. The heavy wood body propped up on her right knee, she tried to remember a song her father had taught her. She played a little melody, and the sound from the old amp coursed through her. It was _amazing._ The sound could only be described as pure emotion, even though she was only playing a simple four chord song quietly.

"Hey Ruby?"

Ruby stopped playing for a moment.

"Yeah, Weiss?"

"Mind if I have a go?"

Ruby raised an eyebrow, confused that Weiss wanted to play the instrument, but shrugged and handed it over. She watched as her friend sat down on the stool and positioned the annoyingly right-handed instrument on her knee. She took a second to get comfortable, but when she had, there was suddenly music.

She began with a C chord, playing a slow waltz with a pick she had procured out of thin air. What followed was an E minor, an F, then a G. Weiss returned to the C, as if she had played the first little bit to warm up her hands on the unfamiliar instrument. She started to sing, quietly as if to no one.

"~ _I've got a girl crush_..."

The words flowed from her like sweet butter, and Ruby's legs couldn't hold her anymore. This was just too perfect.

"~ _I hate to admit it, but_..."

Weiss had been a fairly accomplished singer in her youth, with a voice that no one would ever outshine, Ruby thought. The normally whiny tone she had was transformed into this sultry, sensual sound that felt like it was embracing her whole body.

"~ _I've got a hard rush_..."

Not to sound corny, but this was music to her ears, Ruby presumed. She was a music producer after all, and she had to spend long shifts at the station listening to music and pretending to enjoy it. But this time, she was hearing music that actually made her _feel._ Weiss was _singing_ her way into her heart.

"~ _It ain't slowin' do-own_..."

Weiss moved into the chorus, humming along to her own playing. Despite her small hands, she played even the bar chords with ease, much to Ruby's annoyance, but she stayed put. She was in a trance.

Weiss finished with her little song, not that Ruby had noticed, of course, as she was distracted by the beauty of the sound.

"Weiss..." she paused, still in her own head. "That was beautiful. Where did you learn to play?"

She watched as her companion shut off the amplifier and unplugged the guitar, smirking.

"Well, when I brought up an interest in learning, father insisted that I learn classical guitar. I convinced my instructor to teach me the basics of _real_ music with enough classical interspersed so as to appear like I was learning. Third year at Beacon I had Blake teach me that song."

Ruby was in awe, her mouth frozen in a perpetual smile. This girl was beautiful, intelligent, witty, charming, _talented_ , and most importantly, hers.

 _I'm the luckiest girl in the world._

"Shall we hit the highway, Rose-Petal?"

 _I love that_

"I think so. Let's motor."


	7. Chapter 7: Puzzle

Chapter 20

"Eleven letter word for an aircraft that flaps its wings for propulsion, second letter is R"

Weiss looked up from her crossword at her driver, waiting patiently for a reply. Ruby seemed to be in deep thought at this question, her brow furrowed and her left hand was tapped against the wheel.

"Ornithopter."

Weiss looked down at the puzzle book, and gauged the word and its fitness into the slot. It fit, of course, but she was unsure of how Ruby could have known that. In what instance would she have known the name of such an aircraft?

 _Right, she's a nerd for mechanical things._

Weiss examined the possible questions, and decided to have Ruby help her solve the more mechanically inclined ones. Fifteen-down seemed right up her alley.

"Uh, great-war era Bullhead manufacturer, namesake of modern performance sedan."

"Too easy" came the reply "Grumman"

Weiss scribbled it into the required spot. Next was four-across. "technical term for x-ray exposure."

She could see Ruby frown at this. Her eyes floated over, and she cocked an eyebrow.

"Not a very specific question, friend."

Weiss studied the page again, and counted the spaces where this word would intersect with 'ornithopter'.

"Uh, eight letters, third letter is E" she said, and Ruby's frown decreased slightly. Weiss figured that Ruby probably didn't know this one, but the truth was, neither did she. She had been the smartest girl at Beacon, but there was no doubt that Professor Merlot's chemistry classes had gone in one ear and out the other. Even Professor Port was more engaging!

"Roentgen"

Weiss slapped the book against her knee and turned to her driver, shocked.

"How could you possibly know that?" she asked, incredulously. The _beautiful_ woman in the driver's seat smiled back at her.

"I actually paid attention in Merlot's classes, Weiss. Third year chemistry, chapter twelve; Radiation."

 _I can't say I'm not impressed!_

Weiss shrugged, and wrote the word in. The next few were things she herself could do, so she spent the next twenty minutes or so filling in the blanks until there were only two left. Two she was sure neither of them could answer. Wouldn't hurt to try, of course.

"Production company of 'The Achieve Men', before Studio-636"

Ruby cocked her head at Weiss, and thought for a second.

"Wasn't it Savage Animal Idiosyncrasies?"

Weiss measured the words with the spaces. _Too long._

"Nope. Try again."

Ruby snapped her fingers, causing Weiss to jump a little.

"Got it. It was Wax Lyrical Records. I didn't remember immediately because I hate Yang's stupid boy band."

Weiss chuckled at this. In their four years as roommates, they were under a constant barrage of terrible boy-band 'music' from Yang and Blake's side of the room. The worst of the bunch had been the dreaded album from 'The Achieve Men' aptly titled ' _Heist_ ". It had been a heist, alright. A heist of her precious hearing.

"Okay, last one. Surgical diagnostic procedure to determine if there is free floating fluid in the abdominal cavity. Gee, I guess they save the hardest ones for la-"

"Peritoneal lavage."

 _That was quick_

Weiss looked over at her friend. She was staring out the windscreen, silver eyes unmoving, and her knuckles were white like she was trying to strangle the old wood wheel. Her eye twitched.

"Ruby, are you okay?" She asked, worried.

"I'm fine..." Ruby seemed to brush away the question, her hands loosening their death grip on the wheel. Weiss thought about reaching out to touch the girl, but decided against it at the last moment. It seemed to be wise to change the subject. She brightened her face.

"Right! We finished it! Only took us two hours, not so bad for two people with limited knowledge of most of the covered subjects! What do you think?"

Weiss watched as Ruby shrugged. She flinched a little at this. Something was the matter, but this was not the time to press. She hoped Ruby trusted her enough to tell her what the problem was in her own time. There was silence for the next few minutes, and Weiss grew fearful that the problem might be more than skin-deep.

"Do you want to talk about it?"

More silence. Weiss slumped against the window and looked at the guardrail whizzing passed. An allegory for how she imagined their relationship was going right now. Flying by and she couldn't stop it. A lonely tear came to her eye.

 _I need to man up and deal with this._

 _But how?_

An epiphany struck. Weiss undid her seatbelt and slid across the bench to where Ruby sat, and gently lay her head on her friend's shoulder. She could feel the well-toned muscles under her cheek actually soften from the contact. Glancing her head back ever so slightly and peering through her bangs, Weiss could see that a slight smile had come to Ruby's face. She put her arm around her friend's midsection. She could feel Ruby tense up momentarily before relaxing again.

"I love you" was the only thing she said for the next two hours until they reached the gas station. It had been two hours of silence, with Weiss softly embracing Ruby from the middle of the bench seat and Ruby driving them through the snow storm, one had on the wheel, the other intertwined with Weiss's.

When Ruby had pulled up at the gas pump, she stopped for a moment. Weiss sat up on the seat and looked at her friend. She watched as Ruby sniffled and rubbed her eyes, before looking over at her.

"I love you too."

These four words were said with the most honest smile Weiss had ever seen in her life. There was great sadness behind the visage of the driver who sat in front of her, but for once there was also real passion. It was true that Weiss loved Ruby, but this was the first time that Weiss could see that Ruby _actually_ loved her.

"Thank you, Weiss"

Ruby reached her arms out and embraced her friend, and Weiss could feel her shaking, as if she was afraid. She trusted her to tell her in good time. Weiss held her until the sad brunette finally let go and stepped out of the truck. Weiss joined her at the pump, offering up her credit card once again to pay for fuel. Ruby reluctantly accepted, after much convincing from the wealthy girl.

 _I swear I'M going to be broke by the end of this_

Weiss held Ruby's hand for the seven excruciatingly long minutes it took to fill the enormous fuel tank, but she could feel slow to a more reasonable rate in that time.

 _Holy gods, her grip is strong._

When the tank was full of fuel and Ruby had come back from refilling her cooler with soda and candy, Weiss resumed her position behind the wheel and fired the old engine into life. The low, sensual growl of the motor reverberating through her as she buckled the steel catch of the seatbelt. Suddenly, there was a presence at her side.

"You know, there's actually a seatbelt here. You technically broke the law for two hours."

Ruby had sat herself in the middle spot on the wide bench seat and fastened the lap belt. Weiss smiled at her and gave her a quick peck on the forehead. Ruby sat up and pouted.

"Okay fine, you big baby."

Weiss leaned over slightly and gave her friend a proper kiss, before putting the big truck into gear and pulling them back onto the highway. Ruby settled herself back on Weiss's shoulder and fell asleep.

 _She's my favourite._

 _Bar none._

Chapter 21

 _Weiss is best pillow_

Ruby cuddled comfortably against her friend's shoulder as they drove on through the snow. The blizzard had increased in severity since their last fuel stop and Weiss was now driving at roughly half the legal limit. It would be a while until they reached their hotel. But Ruby was content to cuddle with her friend.

 _This is mine. There are many others like it, but this one is mine._

"Hey Ruby?"

Ruby opened her eyes a little, but refused to let go.

"Yes?"

"What was your first job?"

Ruby snorted at the memory.

"I drove a milk delivery truck in Beacon Township during second and third year. Horrible job, really."

"Oh yeah? What was so bad about it?"

Ruby furrowed her brow. The pain returned to her right arm from just thinking about it.

"That stupid van and it's stupid transmission. The synchro's were worn out in third gear, so you had to double-clutch every time, up and down. If you even missed a little the gearstick would vibrate like you were pushing your arm directly into the transmission."

Weiss laughed, and Ruby poked her in the ribs.

"Seriously! Every time I brought it up with my supervisor, he would always just ask 'does the refrigerator box still work?' Like he didn't even care that the van was probably the single sketchiest vehicle on the road!"

"Maybe you just suck at driving stick" came the reply from Weiss, followed by another jab in the ribs from Ruby.

"I'll have you know I am excellent at driving standard! My first car was a standard!"

"And how many clutches did you replace in the parking lot of our dorm?"

Ruby was quiet for a second. Damn Weiss for remembering those weekends she spent under the front end of the little red RRS with a set of borrowed spanners.

"Like, four… But they weren't expensive. Just kinda hard to access."

Weiss made an amused noise and kissed the top of Ruby's head.

 _I'll take that for now in lieu of real kisses._

"What was _your_ first job, Weiss?"

The girl she was leaning on shuddered. This would be good, Ruby thought.

"Ugh. I was… a secretary at the CCT in Beacon. If you wondered why I was always so salty, that's why. People are assholes. You'd think I would just get a job in the SDC, but I declined the position offered from there until a few years later, and took one at the CCT."

"What position were you offered at the SDC?"

Weiss shuddered again, this time harder. Any more and she'd leave the seat.

"My father's personal assistant..."

 _Oh shit_

Even Ruby shuddered at this. No one on Remnant should be forced to suffer the misery of being the PA to the loathsome _Jacques Schnee._

"The worst part of the job was fetching him coffee. He would give a really convoluted order, and by the time I had finished getting it, he had arranged a meeting just so he could tell me it was the wrong coffee in front of people!"

"But you persevered?"

"Obviously. I was to become the CEO. So I did my awful job diligently, and pretended to enjoy it so I wouldn't lose my privileges."

Ruby laughed. Weiss had an expression of disgust on her face at the memory of working beneath that horrid man. Ruby turned her head up and gave her friend a quick kiss on the cheek, and Weiss's upset expression softened back into the sweet smile that she had spent the last eight years giving her. It was calm, gentle, and at the same time very passionate. It was like someone had made sweet music into a facial expression.

"Where are we staying tonight, Weiss?" Ruby asked, rubbing her head into her friend's neck. She wondered if there would be one bed or two.

 _I hope it's one._

"Well. There's this nice little place up in the mountains ahead."

Ruby looked through the windshield at the view. The snow had lightened in front of them and revealed a beautiful mountain vista. Somewhere in the snowy peaks was a villa resort that the ice princess had overseen the construction of. A place where there would be no prejudice.

"Sounds nice..."

Ruby cooed, closing her eyes. They had been on the road for eleven hours now, and she couldn't figure out how the white-haired girl was still awake. Not even the overly-strong coffee from the morning could keep her awake. Ruby drifted into a realm of almost-sleep, the soft humming of the big engine combined with Weiss's quiet singing kept her on the very edge of fully sleeping. Even when they turned of the highway and began ascending into the mountains toward the overnight halt, Ruby remained tightly cuddled on her friend on the comfy bench seat.

 _Not much in life is better than this._

Her mind wandered freely in this semi-sleep state. Visions of her and Weiss floated across her eyes.

" _Good morning, sweetheart" came the musical voice of the woman in the kitchen. Ruby smiled, and descended the staircase, holding her briefcase and doing up the last remaining button on her blouse._

" _I made you eggs and bacon, your favourite!"_

 _Such a vision of beauty, the white haired woman in the kitchen was. And quite sexy in that apron, as well. Ruby sat down at the quaint wooden table, placing her tightly packed leather briefcase against one of the table's legs. It would be a busy day at the office._

" _Hi, Mommy!" came the sweet sounds of two voices at her side. Ruby looked down at the two children and smiled, ruffling the silvery-white and reddish-brown mops of hair before her._

" _Good morning, Kara. Hello, Lindsay. How are my little munchkins doing this morning?"_

 _The two small children giggled and cooed their answers, bringing warm smiles to their mothers' faces._

 _The smell of bacon permeated her nose, and her sight was drawn towards the tiny kitchenette, where Weiss was deftly turning the delicious smelling meat over in it's pan._

" _I'll take the girls to preschool, darling. I have a few errands to run today. Anything you need from the store?"_

" _No, I think I'll just take a kiss from the most beautiful woman in the world"_

 _Weiss smiled at her and strolled gracefully over. Ruby leaned her head up to receive the impending smooch. Just before their lips touched, a voice rang out._

"Ruby, wake up."

" _Wake up? Surely, you jest, my love. I am already awake!"_

"Oy. Rubes. We're here. You can sleep after dinner. Get up before I tickle you!"

 _Dinner? I haven't even eaten breakfast yet!_

"Ruby!"

Her eyes slowly opened, the joyous world she was dreaming of torn from her. She wasn't at the tiny kitchen table of a tiny house in a tiny village. She was slumped against Weiss on the enormous bench-seat of her own enormous truck.

 _NO! Bring me back to my world!_

Ruby couldn't help but pout her poutiest pout. Her lower lip quivered up at her friend, who's previously annoyed expression turned to one of amusement as her eyes lit up and she _laughed._

"Have some good dreams, Rose-Petal?"

 _FUCK YOU, WEISS_

"Maybe." Ruby said, still pouting "Something about dinner?"

"Oh yes. We'll be getting dressed up for this. I insist"

Chapter 22

Weiss pulled her suitcase behind her up the long sweeping cobblestone ramp leading up to the ornate front door of the Winter's Lodge hotel. She smiled at the polished gold name plate above the door, that bared the name of her sister. She had insisted that the Lodge be named after her, as Winter had been the first person to accept her for her 'alternative lifestyle', as their father had put it. The doorman pulled the great gold handle on the heavy door and bowed as her and Ruby made their way inside. If there was ever a public place where you needed to take your shoes off before, this was it. The soft white velvet floors were crystal-clean, as was the chrome trim adorning every surface. Soft white pot lamps lit up every pillar and arch.

Modern architecture is beautiful, Weiss thought. She knew the architect personally, and it had been a cinch to turn her dream into a reality. She could hear Ruby gasp behind her as she took in the astonishing scenery. Weiss chuckled at her friend's child-like amusement and strolled to the reception desk. The elderly man behind the desk smiled at her, before realizing who he was actually looking at.

"Good evening madam, do you have a- oh my! Miss Schnee! Welcome!"

"Hello, Mister Teale. I do indeed have a reservation."

"Certainly, Madam. The Penthouse?"

He typed away on the glass screen in front of him. He paused for a second, frowning.

"It says you have booked a regular room. Are you sure this is correct, Ma'am?"

Weiss cocked her eyebrows at him.

"I have no time to spend in the penthouse this time, for my companion and I are only staying one night. It would be a shame to clean and prepare the entire penthouse just for me to use it for only nine or so hours."

The receptionist looked puzzled, but he eventually shrugged and procured two brilliant white room cards.

"Here you are, my lady. Do enjoy the room. Would you like us to refresh the sheets with silk instead of cotton? It will only take about an hour."

Weiss perked up at the man. "Actually, why not! I have to take Ruby on a date tonight, so we will need the room for a bit to change. If you could swap the sheets after we leave, that would be lovely!"

She leaned over the desk and whispered to him.

"And while we're here, could you have Ruby's truck pulled into the service bays and tuned up? It has trouble starting in the cold. Bigger primary jets should do it."

Okay, now I'm concerned that I know this much about cars.

The elderly man smiled at her and whispered back and winked.

"Absolutely, my lady. Enjoy your date."

"I'm sure I will. Thank you so much" she said, taking the room cards and wheeling herself and the starstruck Ruby over to the elevator. The crystal glass tube opened up with a soft whoosh. Her boots clicked against the glass floor as she and Ruby stepped in. The door closed again and the lift smoothly began ascending upwards.

"This place…." Ruby broke the silence. "...Is so amazing…."

Weiss gave her a sly smile. Of course it was amazing, she had overseen its construction! This architectural wonder was not only in place to look good, but it was a place where even those with 'alternative lifestyles' could feel at home. Weiss hated using that phrase, but it had become commonplace in her vernacular from living with her father. Gay people. This hotel welcomes gay people she affirmed in her head. In her momentary distraction she hadn't seen the elevator door open again on her floor and had been standing fixed in place.

"Weiss? Something the matter?" came the concerned voice at her side.

"No, it's fine. Sorry, just distracted is all."

Ruby smiled and stepped past her, swiftly removing the room cards she had been clutching and skipping off down the hall to find their room. When they had reached the door, her eager companion quickly swiped the card and stepped through the door.

It took Weiss a few minutes to stop laughing, as Ruby hadn't actually stepped through the door, she had instead crashed into it. It hadn't opened on the first try and she had bounced off the wood panel and onto her rear on the floor. Weiss's sides hurt it was so funny. Finally helping her friend to her feet, they finally made their way inside the room.

She's so clumsy it hurts ME.

I'm glad I get to love this one.

Weiss heard Ruby gasp again as she hefted her bag onto the bed closest to the door. She was glad her friend approved of the excessive luxuries even the ordinary rooms possessed. Quietly unzipping her suitcase, she lay out a few potential outfits on the bed. She could hear her friend ruffling through her duffle bag behind her.

All of your clothes will be wrinkled. Perhaps I have something that will fit her. Hmm.

Weiss pondered her own outfits. Everything was carefully folded and organized, colour-matched and tagged. She was certain that something in the bag would look decent on her, but she was unsure if it would be wise to offer her friend clothes. A voice from behind her indicated she wouldn't have to ask.

"Hey Weiss? Can I…. uh, borrow something fancy? I didn't think to pack date-clothes."

She thinks it's a date! Perfect!

Weiss turned to her friend, giving her a sly look. She beckoned the girl over and gestured to the neatly folded stack of clothing.

"Let's see what fits."

The next hour or so was spent with Weiss shoving Ruby into countless different outfits and then having her return to the bathroom to change as something was always just a little off. Lucky for them, the two girls were the same five-foot-two stature, so all of Weiss's pants, shirts, dresses and other associated clothing was the right length. Unfortunately for Ruby (but rather fortunate for Weiss as it turned out), most of the pants and blouses didn't quite fit as the lithe girl's wardrobe hadn't been tailored for her more… 'curvy' body. Ruby's thicker, more muscular build and much wider hips prevented her from wearing most of Weiss's outfits. Even the looser dress shirts that she had brought could never be buttoned up all the way at the front. For two very obvious reasons.

I'm a lucky girl.

"Ruby, I know you're a Huntress, but why are you so unreasonably buff? Do you work out?"

Ruby flinched a little at the question, and Weiss went wide-eyed, realizing what she had insinuated.

"No, wait that came out wrong! You are very attractive! Fit is sexy! I just want to know how you got this way! I'm sorry!"

She tripped over her words, causing Ruby to giggle at her.

"I know what you meant! Gosh, your face was priceless!"

Weiss wanted to smack the girl.

"Well, I do actually work out. Do you know how much my scythe actually weighs?"

Weiss shrugged.

"Twenty kilos?"

"Ha! Try more like sixty-three."

Sixty three kilograms?! It weighs more than I do!

Weiss scrubbed the shocked expression from her face and tried to focus on the task at hand. She pulled a rather plain-looking baby-blue summer dress from the bottom of her bag. She held it up against Ruby, judging the fitment. She shrugged and loosened the adjustable elastic strap that encircled the bust, and handed it to her friend, getting a strange expression in return.

"A dress? But it's snowing!"

Weiss waved away the question. "Do you have tights?"

Ruby shook her head. Weiss frowned as she tried to formulate a way to keep her friend's toned legs warm. She couldn't borrow a set from her, as the more muscular girl would likely tear them to pieces. Weiss dug around in her bag again, her hand brushing against something soft tucked into the corner. No way. Not these. She can't know I own these. Weiss's conscience was ignored again, and she pulled the offending item up from within the bag's depths.

Knee high socks. My nose is bleeding already.

Ruby's eyes perked up at the pale pink socks presented to her. Weiss tried to hide her blush and pointed at the bathroom.

"Go. Change."

Ruby retreated into the room, and Weiss took a moment to compose herself. Images of Ruby in the socks flashed across her vision. Only in the socks. Her legs nearly gave out. Weiss shook her head violently to try and rid herself of the images. She looked back over at her clothes.

Something in here will work, she figured. Pulling out a set of long, elegant white dress pants, followed by an icy-blue button-up, Weiss figured that this would be dressy enough while being respectably matched to her companion. Slipping her lithe legs into the pants, she contemplated remaining shirtless for when Ruby emerged from the bathroom. She cursed herself for even thinking this. This is not the time. Be patient she thought to herself.

Yeah, but that rack!

"No. Very no. But also yes."

She caught herself smiling, as she buttoned the shirt up her front, frowning a little as she had no issues doing up all the buttons. She reached over to where her bag lay once more and pulled out a long flowing white cotton coat, pulling it loosely on. Her attention was grabbed by Ruby's voice from the bathroom.

"Should I come out now?"

Weiss chuckled, remembering what her friend had said to her the previous morning.

"Only when you're ready."

The door creaked open. Out of the bathroom stepped what Weiss was sure was a goddess in place of the clumsy, charming girl she had sent in. The blue dress was a stark contrast to what the girl normally wore, but it looked perfectly natural on her buxom frame.

That… is an acceptable amount of cleavage.

Weiss's eyes were drawn to Ruby's chest, which was tightly squeezed into the dress. Clearly, it had been made for a smaller-chested woman, but Weiss's small adjustment to the garment kept it sensible yet still sexy.

"I feel like I'm revealing a little too much. You, uh, you're drooling."

Don't care.

Weiss shook her head and wiped her mouth on her sleeve. She had in fact drooled a little, but she had justified it in her head. Ruby was unfairly attractive in her dress. Weiss had an epiphany, and once more dug through her suitcase and pulled out one of her white silk coats, before handing it to the woman before her.

"Wear this, too. Short-length, very soft."

She watched as Ruby pulled on the coat. Weiss twitched a little as she observed her friend spin on the spot to model the outfit, the dress floating up from the rotation.

She looks better in my clothes than I do.

"Do I look okay in this colour? It seems a little stark..." Ruby questioned, her face a little worried.

You need to wear only that colour

"Ruby..." Weiss said, beaming brightly "You look absolutely spectacular in white. Better than I do, if I may be so bold"

Ruby blushed, smiling though her hand. Weiss thought it was particularly adorable the way she swayed back and forth on her heels from the compliment. The girl's muscular arms, now hidden by the coat, were pulled behind her back in a very elegant fashion. I am a fool for never truly seeing how beautiful she is. Weiss stood up from the bed, extended her hand to her friend.

"Come. I know a perfect place for our date."

Ruby took her hand, smiling as she intertwined her fingers. A real date with her best friend, who had recently been upgraded to girlfriend.

Everything was perfect.


	8. Chapter 8: Date

Chapter 23

Ruby's heart was trying to beat itself out of her chest as she walked hand-in-hand with Weiss down the cobblestone sidewalk. She had said there was a restaurant just a moment's walk from the Lodge, just up the road. Ruby wished that it was a thousand miles away, so she would never have to let go of Weiss's hand. The air was cold, but the warm silk jacket kept her warm, especially considering the amount of boob that was displayed from the tight summer dress.

 _But damn, I look good. Weiss is a genius._

Ruby hadn't felt this comfortable in her own skin in a long time. The horrible scar was hidden, yes, but the reasonably revealing outfit and Weiss's reaction to it had boosted her confidence to levels they hadn't been since before attending Beacon. She shut her eyes.

 _I AM beautiful. There is nothing I cannot do. I. Am Ruby Rose._

She opened her eyes, and could feel herself smiling. She glanced over and caught Weiss admiring her.

"Your smile is my favourite, Rose-Petal. For sure."

Ruby blushed, feeling Weiss press her lips against her cheek. Love was a good thing. A thing she needed. Even the use of the nickname had sunk in and was warming her. The sub-zero air now felt like the summer sun. They approached a building that lined the sidewalk, one that Ruby guessed was the restaurant. The ornate wrought-iron patio chairs remained in place, snow-covered and organized, lit by the sign that was perched on the roof.

"WhiteRose?" Ruby questioned quietly, looking over at a sly-looking Weiss.

Her friend said nothing as she was lead inside. The heat from the fire in the centre of the room greeted Ruby, washing over her like a warm blanket. They were greeted by a tall, thin man with olive-coloured eyes. His black suit-vest was pulled tight against his broad chest. He greeted them with a soft, yet masculine voice.

"Good evening, and welcome to WhiteRose. Do you have a reservation?"

Weiss stepped forward, beaming brightly. Whatever happened to the whiny roommate that she remembered from Beacon was gone, and in it's place was this passionate and independent _woman._

 _Ruby like._

"Yes, it should be under the name 'Schnee'."

The man's eyes lit up, finally recognizing her. He turned his gaze toward his reservation list, his eyes growing wide as he realized who he was talking to.

"But of course, Miss Schnee. If you'd follow me, I shall show you to your usual box."

The tall man grabbed two leather-bound menus from his station and beckoned them to follow. He seemed to almost _float_ through the room as he guided her and Weiss to a seat in the corner by the window. Ruby was sure she had never seen a booth at a restaurant that had a sliding partition separating it from the rest of the room. But alas, here she was. She lowered herself onto the well-sprung seat, watching as Weiss gracefully slipped onto her side of the table. The menus were placed before them, and the man retreated back into the restaurant, closing the partition as he did. They were now isolated, as snow drifted past the window.

"Why is the restaurant called 'WhiteRose?'"

Weiss seemed confused by the question.

"I had it named after us. I thought it would be a nice reminder of our friendship."

Ruby's eye twitched slightly. This likely million-lien establishment had been named after her. It was a nice gesture, but it seemed a little...obvious. Ruby shifted uncomfortably, yet Weiss still smiled. It was a little unnerving.

"I didn't have it built for you, dummy, just named that way. Besides, Yang and Blake already agreed that it was a good name. Your sister actually _chose_ the name."

Ruby's worry subsided, as she knew anything Yang approved of had to be harmless. Realizing she was suddenly overheating, Ruby made to pull off her borrowed jacket, and had it most of the way of before noticing Weiss was a little distracted by the view. Ruby tossed the jacket onto the bench next to her, placed her hand on her knees and ever-so subtly pushed her breasts together. Weiss's pupils dilated, causing Ruby to giggle.

"See something you like, Weiss-Cream?" She asked, gesturing down at the exposed skin. Weiss made a noise that wasn't quite words before shaking her head and sitting up straight and opening her menu.

"Yes, probably this dish here."

Ruby looked at Weiss was pointing at.

"Weiss….that's a picture of the chef..."

It was adorable how the white-haired girl was suddenly very flustered at being caught staring, not the Ruby minded, of course. She _wanted_ Weiss to stare. It was self-affirming in a way, to know someone thought she was attractive. Even better that it was someone who should have become used to her by now, seeing as it had been eight years.

 _Heh, she thinks I'm hot_

Weiss hid herself behind her menu, blushing like a madwoman. Ruby laughed and looked at her own menu. Everything seemed overly fancy, with equally fancy Mistralian names. _Beef Bourguignon_ _,_ _Cuisses de Grenouille_ _,_ _Pain de Campagne_. It was all a little overwhelming.

"Weiss?" she pondered at the back of the menu on the other side of the table "I uh, don't know what any of this means. Can you help me?" She tried to add a little bit of longing and desperation to her voice, and was pleased when her companion dropped her menu back down. Weiss's blush had subsided, but enough pink tones remained in the girl's cheeks to make even Ruby blush a little. She pointed out the few different options she was considering, and Weiss's expression softened as she tried to explain them.

"Truth be told, Ruby, I don't understand Mistralian either, but I have a gist of what they are. First one is like a beef stew, served hot with steak and veggies The second one..." Weiss looked at her through her eyebrows "...Is literally frog's legs, and the third one is just fancy bread. If you needed to choose between those three I would go with the steak."

 _Frog's legs?! Ew!_

As much as Ruby didn't like vegetables, steak stew did sound pretty good, if a little unpronounceable. Weiss had made her decision as well, and had closed her menu. Ruby watched as she pushed a little button on the edge of the table, and almost like magic the partition was opened and in stepped a small woman in a suit-vest, a miniature female version of the man who had seated them.

"Good evening, Miss Schneee, Miss Rose!" the small woman cheered, smiling brightly at them. Ruby noticed that the woman's vest and shirt seemed freshly pressed, as if they had been cleaned and ironed not five minutes before. She was briefly confused at how the waitress knew her name, but figured that it was because Weiss had given their names when booking the booth, probably.

"Something to drink, this evening? Might I recommend a Mistralian Cabernet?"

 _Wine?_

Before Ruby had any time to interject, Weiss smiled and answered for them.

"Yes, that sounds lovely. Thank you kindly."

The waitress smiled, bowed, and retreated, shutting the partition once again. Ruby looked perplexed at her companion. They were going to get wine? That seemed a little racy, she thought.

"Should we be getting drunk, Weiss? What about driving?"

Weiss chuckled at her. _Rude._

"We aren't getting drunk, my dear, we are _savouring_ a fine wine with dinner. Also, we walked here. Even if you get a little tipsy, we don't have to worry about driving."

 _What do you mean 'you'? You think I'm a lightweight?_

 _But she did call me 'my dear'. Baby steps, Ruby._

"Why not have an Atlesian wine? Don't you prefer those?" she asked, to which Weiss nearly choked.

"I would never drink Atlesian wine. Not even if you paid me. It always tastes so..." Weiss paused, her face twisting "...Processed. Like it was made using a formula and math, instead of actual grapes. People like grapes, you see, not engineered wine."

Ruby laughed. People did indeed like grapes, as there had been a soda named as such. Much of her youth was spent chugging countless cans of the fizzy purple liquid. The Waitress returned, a silver platter atop which sat two bulbous wine glasses filled with deep blood-red liquid. Ruby eyes the fluid suspiciously as their orders were taken.

"I'll have the _Canard_ _à l'Orange_ _,_ if you'd be so kind. Ruby?"

The waitress and the ice princess turned to her. She stumbled over a rough pronunciation of the dish she wanted, trying to sound professional. The way that both Weiss and the waitress smiled at her, she knew she clearly messed it up.

"Yes, I'll have the, uh… _beef bore-gwig-non…._ uh yeah! That one!"

"Of course! I will return swiftly."

Once more, the waitress disappeared and she and Weiss were left in solitude. Ruby scratched her head and grinned awkwardly. As much fun as this date was, she felt extremely out of place and nervous. It was only Weiss, after all, not an Ursa. And for once, Ruby preferred Weiss. The woman across from her reached her hand out over the table and Ruby automatically reached out and laced her fingers into Weiss's. The sweet gesture accompanied by the soft smile made her giddy, and she turned away to try and hide her blush, to no avail.

"You are so magnificently pretty, Rose-Petal. I am ashamed for never properly noticing before."

 _ho boy_

"Careful with those words, Weiss-Cream. They might be working."

Weiss winked at her and Ruby felt her heart flutter again. Weiss-related heart problems were almost assured now, as the girl across from her raised her hand to her lips and kissed it in a very sultry fashion. Ruby wanted to say something to break the silence, but her nerves and shaking body betrayed her. All that came out was an aroused-sounding whimper.

"Your meals have been prepared!"

Ruby jumped at the sudden intrusion from the server as she placed the gleaming white plates of food before them. Ruby's hand shot back from Weiss's grasp and hid itself under the table. Her face was on fire as she turned to the waitress.

"I'm not gay!" she said quickly and very flustered, receiving a smile and a small shrug from the waitress, who once again disappeared.

 _Wait, yes I am!_ She said to herself turning back to Weiss, who wore an amused expression.

"I, uh..."

"Don't worry, Ruby. I know." Weiss said, giggling at her from her side of the table. Weiss's soft laughing made Ruby pout at her, garnering more laughing from the ice princess. She tried to hide her embarrassment by taking a sip of her wine. She almost choked on it as the rich, sharp flavour washed over her tongue. A little bit ran down her chin as Weiss _continued_ to laugh at her. Ruby pouted again before wiping the offending fluid from her chin.

"You aren't very nice, Weiss-Cream"

Weiss gave a contented sigh. "Eat your food before it gets cold, you clumsy dolt."

Ruby gave in and began consuming the steaming dish of meat and vegetables in front of her. The poutine from earlier had been excellent, but this food was _perfect._ The tender beef oozed the delicious stew onto her tongue, and however messy it was, it tasted like _heaven._ They ate their food in silence, awkwardly smiling at each other and giggling like school girls. They had since resumed holding hands, Weiss resigning herself to eating right-handed to hold her friend's hand.

 _This is my first real date._

 _I'm in love._

Her delicious meal came to a close, as did Weiss's. The bill was hidden from her, as it was likely more than her property payments. Weiss took no shame in brandishing her SDC credit card, and Ruby enjoyed the pampering she was receiving.

Weiss stood up from the booth, extending her hand towards Ruby. She gave her friend a giddy smile and gracefully accepted, allowing Weiss to pull her to her feet. She faltered a little, her legs briefly refusing to work properly. Her head was swimming a little, and she wondered if it was from the alcohol or from being exposed to her beautiful friend.

 _Fuck, I am a lightweight._

She let Weiss guide her back to the hotel, the snow that fell against her had no effect on her heated frame. Her vision was a mild haze of blurry smiles, and something about 'I love drunk Ruby' permeated her ears. She came to her senses a little as she was pushed down onto the soft bed back in their room, still giggling. She felt the mattress bounce as Weiss plopped down next to her.

"You sober yet?"

Ruby smiled.

"Maaaaybe"

There was a laugh from her side.

"Right, when you are, I'll take you swimming."

That sobered her up quick.

 _Swimming?_

 _I can't swim!_

 _I don't even own a bathing suit!_

Ruby sat up, eyes wide. Weiss smiled at her again. Ruby gave a nervous chuckle.

"Uh, yeah, sure. Swimming…."

"Perfect! Let's go!"

 _Oh no._

Chapter 24

 _I love swimming._

Weiss observed herself in the mirror, admiring the smooth porcelain skin that gleamed back at her. She held the blue bikini her friend had chosen for her against her skin, unsure if it really matched. She tossed it on the counter and stood up straight, judging herself. The lithe body she was looking at still impressed her, but she couldn't help but feel tiny pangs of jealousy at what she imagined Ruby looked like under her usually baggy clothing. The dress she had been shoe-horned into demonstrated a rather _enchanting_ figure that had been hidden from her all these years. Weiss was now frowning at herself in comparison. Much less muscular, much thinner hips, and considerably smaller…

 _Put the damn bikini on, Ruby likes the way you look._

Weiss's inner monologue had stopped teasing her with perverted thoughts, while normally a good thing, was now actually trying to help. Ruby had the body of a _goddess,_ and her own now seemed a little… childish. Weiss huffed. She was twenty-five now, not a kid anymore. This was as much body as she was going to get.

 _I repeat. Ruby. Likes. You._

Weiss made a pained noise at the voice in her head and conceded. Slipping the blue number on, she appreciated the was the soft fabric actually pulled itself against her pale skin. She had a moment of trouble tying up the string behind her back, her hands fumbling with the thin string. When both the top and bottom pieces had been tied up on her body, she took a moment to observe herself again.

 _Well. That's not so bad._

She turned and looked over her shoulder at the reflection of her backside. She shrugged at the rather revealing way the lower part hugged the roundness of her posterior.

 _I guarantee that Ruby will appreciate that._

Weiss pulled a fluffy white bathrobe over her scantily-clad figure, catching a glimpse of her lower legs in the mirror.

 _Fuck. I didn't shave._

Weiss's eye twitched. There was no time to have a shower and shave now, as the time it would take might make her absence seem suspicious. She wondered if she even need to worry about it. They were both grown women, comfortable with small amounts of leg hair. It wasn't the unkempt mess that it had been during the winter time back at Beacon, but it was at least noticeable from up close. Or if you were Weiss.

 _It's not important. Focus on Ruby. Positive attitude is more attractive than anything physical._

Weiss stood up straight, pulled her shoulders back, tied up the robe, and stepped out of the bathroom. Only to find Ruby, still sitting on the bed, still wearing the blue dress. Weiss frowned at her friend.

"Why haven't you changed? I was in there for like ten minutes!"

Ruby looked a little uncomfortable. She gave her a nervous smile.

"I, uh… didn't bring a bathing suit."

Weiss's frown softened, then turned to an expression consisting of a sly smile and raised eyebrows. Weiss remembered that she had packed two bathing suits on purpose, one being the one Ruby had chosen, the other being the old Beacon Academy competition swim uniform. She always brought the old racing suit with her when she went on business trips, as she would always take the time to turn laps at whatever pool was at the hotel. It never left her bag. Swimming kept her fit.

"You remember what my hobby was, back at Beacon?" She asked, gingerly rooting through her bag for the old swimsuit.

"Getting angry?"

Weiss chuckled at this.

"No, no. Funny, but no, Rose-Petal. Every weekend, where did I go on campus?"

She could see the gears turning in Ruby's head. She also saw her friend's pupils dilate as the memory came to her. Ruby blushed.

"Weren't you on the swim team?"

Weiss pulled her old swimsuit out of the bag. The navy-blue one-piece number shimmered a little in the lamplight, the recently-washed spandex fabric hanging loose. It was a high-necked one-piece, with an open back and yellow stitching as was common for Beacon Academy athletic wear. Weiss held the suit out to Ruby.

"I was the four-hundred metre freestyle _champion_ in second year. Remember the semester I had my hair shorter?"

Ruby took the garment carefully from her. Weiss smiled to herself as her companion turned the fabric over in her hands, as if she was examining it for flaws.

"I don't think I'm going to fit in this, Weiss."

 _Okay! We get it! You have bigger boobs than me!_

Weiss laughed, hiding even more pangs of jealousy. The fabric was reasonably stretchy, and should easily accommodate her more sizable chest.

"You'll fit. Go change, silly. Unless you want to go skinny dipping?"

Ruby turned bright red at this, before rushing past into the bathroom. Weiss sighed as she sat down on the closest bed, feeling the soft silk sheets under her hands. She brushed some errant bang out of her face, then began brushing the long white hair that fell down her back over her left shoulder, working the kinks and knots out with her fingers. There was a time when she had short hair, the shoulder-length white fluff resembling Ruby's current hairstyle. She had grown it out after an argument with her father about how short-haired girls looked 'like dykes', as he had so brutally put it. In defiance of, her and Winter had grown their hair out to unreasonable lengths out of spite, and much of their long hair collected around the house. Winter was not gay herself, of course, but she gladly sided with Weiss on such issues pertaining to their father.

"Uh, Weiss?"

She turned her head towards the bathroom door, for once glad that she had been torn from her own thoughts.

"I don't think this quite fits..."

Weiss frowned at the door.

"Mind if I come in and check?"

There was a pause.

"Uh, sure, I guess..."

Weiss stood up off the bed, brushed some invisible dirt off of her robe, and strolled towards the bathroom door. She paused for a moment, realizing that beyond the door would be _Ruby_ in a bathing suit. She shivered a little with joy, before opening the door. The goddess in the bathroom gave her a weak smile.

"Hi..."

Weiss's heart stopped. What she was looking at was probably the most vividly beautiful person she had ever seen. Ruby stood there, leaning against the vanity, in the borrowed Beacon swimsuit. The way it hugged against her body was a _raunchy_ sight, as the spandex was pulled taut over her breasts and abs. Weiss couldn't speak, only stare. Her eyes roamed over her friend, not wanting to stop and stare in case there was something else she might miss if she did. In short, Weiss was checking Ruby out. And _drooling._ Her eyes fell on a patch of skin on the top of Ruby's thigh, just were the cuff of the suit crossed her hip. There was a mark, a few inches long that disappeared up into the swimsuit on an angle. It looked like some kind of scar...

"Ruby, your hip..."

She could see Ruby wince, but she laughed it off. There was a hint of pain in her laugh.

"Yeah, that. I missed a landing during training a few years ago. Smacked my hip on a nasty rock."

Weiss relaxed a little. She knew her friend was lying, but played along. A rock wouldn't have made such a deep cut, this injury looked more like it was executed by a long blade. Weiss wasn't sure why someone would stab someone in the hip, but she was sure Ruby would tell her what had _really_ happened soon.

"So...how do I look?"

Weiss returned her attention to the rest of her friend's body. She still couldn't believe what she was looking at was the short, adorable, clumsy _girl_ she had roomed with back at Beacon. The long, elegant yet _powerful_ legs below, the muscular arms, the tight flat stomach. She was in a trance.

"You look..."

"Bad?" Ruby turned away. Weiss glared at the back of her head.

"...Ravenous."

Ruby blushed bright red. It was amusing to make her blush, Weiss thought. She stepped forward and turned Ruby to face her. She adjusted the edges of the straps with her fingers, brushing a bit of Ruby's hair out of the way. She was so distracted by adjusting Ruby's swimsuit, she hadn't noticed that she was now standing mere millimetres from her friend, and that Ruby had began breathing a little harder.

 _This is an interesting development._

An idea came to her. An awful idea. A wonderful, awful idea. She leaned her face into the exposed crook of Ruby's neck. As slowly and carefully as she could, Weiss placed a sultry kiss on the soft pale skin. She could hear Ruby's breath hitch, and could almost _feel_ her heartbeat quicken through her lips.

 _Yes. Give in to your feelings._

A hand ran up her back, trying to pull her closer. Weiss gave a wicked smile, and slipped out of her friend's wanton grasp. She could see that Ruby had a very amusing shade of pink on her cheeks, and had slumped back a little.

 _Perfect. I still got it._

Weiss tried to force away the eye-twitch, handing Ruby a bathrobe that had been hanging on the back of the door. She realized it was horribly selfish to turn someone so far on and leave them hanging, but if they wasted any more time, the pool would be closed for the night. Although, sex wouldn't be _wasting_ time, of course.

 _PATIENCE, FOOL._

"C'mon, then. It's time we went swimming."

Weiss took Ruby's hand and lead her out of the room.


	9. Chapter 9: Swimming

Chapter 25

 _That's not fucking fair._

Ruby let herself get pulled down the hall at a reasonable pace, her socked feet quietly thumping against the carpet. To say Weiss's actions had turned her on would be the understatement of the year. She wasn't just hot under the collar. She was _on fire._ There was pretty much nothing she could do about the blush she was displaying, so she had to just roll with it. Weiss pulled her into the elevator at the end of the hall, and Ruby's still moving body ran into the now-stopped girl. By the time she had realized they had collided, the elevator had already begun descending. Ruby's eyes perked up as she realized she had accidentally placed her hands on Weiss's chest to stabilize herself.

 _Why me?_

 _I mean, why not me?_

She pulled herself off her friend, shivering with delight but trying desperately to remain composed. She could hear Weiss giggling at her.

 _It's a good thing I love you, or you'd be getting smacked._

Ruby's heart fluttered at the internal comment. Love. She did love Weiss, of course, but it seemed a little inappropriate to be so forward about it. While yes, she had confessed that she was in love earlier that day and received a kiss for it, somehow despite eight years of being very close friends it still felt weird to say 'I love you'. She desperately hoped that she could get over that.

"Weiss, I..."

"Hush, not now. Swimming!"

Her companion cheered, pulling her out of the elevator, which had come to a soft halt on the first floor. Weiss seemed to _leap_ from the small vertically-constrained booth, her white bathrobe flowing elegantly around her long, lithe, gorgeous legs...

 _Snap out of it before you tumble, idiot._

Ruby forced her thoughts away from the ice princess's legs, however elegant they were. It was really not fair how much of an effect the girl, no, the _woman_ was having on Ruby. Being in love was one thing, an advanced sort of crush in a way. But the feeling that Ruby had for her long-time friend was certainly different. It was _carnal_. Weiss actually had started to stir feelings within her that she was actually afraid of.

 _Lust._

Ruby watched as the graceful woman who had hold of her hand bounded down the hallway towards the glass door labelled 'spa'. She caught herself staring at Weiss's robe. Beneath the soft fluffy cotton and Winter's Lodge logo was the perfect, crystal-white skin of her girlfriend. She shivered at the images,

 _There you go again, calling her that._

 _Not that we're complaining up here._

Was Weiss her girlfriend? They had made out a few times, she guessed, and had been on a few dates. Two just today! Ruby realized that they effectively had a relationship that had lasted since they had met. Once every week since she had moved to Atlas, she and Weiss had found time to hang out, either at the manor, or at Ruby's little bungalow, and just do stuff together. She took a second to recount some of the 'stuff' as Weiss swiped her room key in a little slot next to the glass door and led them into the pool complex. Whether it had been hanging out for coffee, playing video games on Ruby's couch, fancy dinners out at restaurants, karaoke, or just watching movies in Weiss's theatre room...

...while cuddling on the couch...

 _Holy shit, she was always my girlfriend._

A warm feeling coursed through her body. A good feeling. She watched, frozen in place as Weiss stepped away from her toward the pool, untying her robe.

 _Strip show?_

Ruby turned red as she watched, awestruck as the robe slipped down past Weiss's smooth, porcelain shoulders. The robe stopped about a third of the way down the girl's back. Unless you didn't know that the bikini's straps were tied up on the back of Weiss's neck, currently hidden by her hair, you'd have assumed the girl was currently becoming naked. Much like Ruby assumed.

"See something you like?"

Ruby was caught off-guard by the sudden question from her friend. There was indeed something she liked going on, but she refused to admit it. She stammered out what could only be described as 'Confused Ruby Noises', and blushed into her hands. She could hear her friend chuckle at her _again,_ and there was the distinct _whump_ as the robe fell to the floor. Ruby's masochistic brain flashed rather photo-realistic renderings of what Weiss might look like fully nude across her vision. Should she peek?

 _Do NOT peek! That would be rude!_

Ruby peeked a little.

 _Were you even listening?_

The image before her stopped her heart. There stood Weiss, clad in the reserved, yet revealing two piece ice-blue bikini that she herself had picked out not but yesterday morning. Weiss's long, slender legs extended down past the cuffs of the bottom, no signs of any scrapes or scars. Her back, smooth and silky white over the thin but still toned muscles. The thin blue straps were the only things that detracted from the splendour of the sculpture that had presented itself before her. Weiss's head was turned, and her eyes gestured down to her own posterior. Ruby followed them.

 _Hot damn, that is a fine bum._

It really was. The way that the suit's lower portion hugged the _perfect_ curves was nearly incapacitating. Weiss might had been a short girl, but she had been blessed with the body of a _woman._ Perfectly proportioned in every way. Ruby's inner pervert wanted to see what that body looked like _sans clothing._ She nearly fell over as she watched Weiss wink at her before performing a graceful dive into the water, leaving the smallest of splashes in her wake.

 _She is beautiful, even when she's toying with my emotions._

Weiss resurfaced a few moments later on the other side of the pool. She had managed to cross it in a few powerful rotations of her arms, and she held herself upright in the water. Ruby could see her friend frown at her from across the pool.

 _Here it comes..._

"Hey, why aren't you in the water yet? It's like a hot tub in here!"

 _There it is. No avoiding it now._

Ruby grimaced. Weiss effortlessly swam back over, coming to a rest at the edge, chin resting on her hands.

"Weiss, I, uh... can't...swim" she mumbled, her voice getting quiet. Weiss's eyes perked up, her expression one of concern.

"You can't? But...you're a huntress? Isn't it required for your training?"

It wasn't. It was _recommended,_ but Ruby had never actually wanted to learn. Growing up in Patch, her and Yang never actually went to the beach, or went swimming, or anything. Vacations were rare with their father being both a full-time professor and Huntsman. Weiss frowned.

"Look, take off your robe and come sit on the edge of the pool. Besides, if you stand there any longer, you'll freeze."

Ruby was unsure what Weiss meant by _freeze_ as she took off her robe and lay it on a nearby table, collecting Weiss's as well. Then it hit her. The pool wasn't a _swimming_ pool, per se, it was a hot spring. And it was outside. The cold winter air cut through her exposed legs, arms, and back. She rushed as quickly as she dared over to the edge of the water and sat down, submerging her cold feet into the warm water. She noticed the snow that fell gently against her skin, and the magical way it seemed to disappear about a metre above the water's surface. It was all very...tranquil.

A feeling that was cut short about three seconds later as Weiss dragged her into the water. This was it. She was going to die. The hot pool water embraced her, Weiss's slender arms seeming to pull her down into the infinite depths of this pool. Ruby kicked her feet, and found that there seemed to be no bottom. Was it even legal to install a pool with no bottom? She was for sure going to drown, and Weiss was now the perpetrator of her death.

 _Bitch._

"Ruby? You can open your eyes now."

Ruby refused to obey. She would most certainly be dead, and she didn't want to see what the other side might look like.

"Oh for gods' sake. Stand up."

Ruby tentatively opened her eyes. Her head was above water. As was most of her torso and her knees. She had curled herself up into the foetal position, and was currently resting in Weiss's arms, kept mostly buoyant. She let out the breath the had been unconsciously holding. Weiss cocked an eyebrow at her and giggled.

 _BITCH._

"Put your feet on the bottom, you dolt."

Ruby gingerly extended her legs downward in the water, keeping her arms wrapped around her murderer's neck for support. The hard tile bottom came up much faster than she was expecting. Gingerly, she put her weight down on her legs and stood up in the water, still clinging to Weiss.

 _It's only chest deep. And you were worried._

Ruby made a noise. Weiss giggled.

 _Weiss tried to drown me! Of course I was worried!_

Ruby and Weiss stood there in the warm water, still in a sideways embrace. Ruby pouted and splashed Weiss in the face. There came a shriek from the white-haired girl, but no counter-action. Now it was Ruby's turn to laugh. Weiss conceded defeat and sighed, still smiling, despite now having a drenched face. Weiss leaned her face in and Ruby couldn't help but blush as a gentle kiss was placed on her nose.

"So. Want me to teach you how to swim?"

Ruby nodded vigorously.

Chapter 26

 _This is a nice bum._

Weiss scowled at herself. She was supporting her friend, who was lying on her back in the water like a plank, her head back and her arms out. She had suggested that Ruby lie like this to get comfortable with having water in her ears and her face still above water. Weiss's hands were currently beneath her bum and her shoulders, keeping the brunette mostly afloat. She shifted her grip so that her left hand was better positioned under Ruby's behind, lessening the strain on her shoulder.

 _But also so I can better grab that booty._

"You, uh, being a little _cheeky_ down there, Weiss-cream?"

Weiss blushed, but was quick to respond.

"No, I am re-positioning so as to support your centre of mass."

"You saying I have a fat ass?"

Weiss twitched.

 _If by fat you mean fantastic, yes._

"Statistically speaking Rose-Petal, a woman's centre of mass lies at their hips, where the more dense innominate bones are. Although for you, I'd say the dense part is up at the top, just above your shoulders."

"Hey!"

Weiss laughed. Ruby's reactions were always amusing, and better yet, a good way to distract her from the fact that some full-on butt grabbing was occurring.

"Okay, I'm going to let go now. Take deep, slow breaths, and you will remain buoyant. You ready?"

Ruby nodded slightly, keeping her eyes closed. Weiss gingerly lowered her hands away from Ruby's body, keeping them within quick saving-distance. Ruby floated in place, gently moving her arms in slow arcs. She was swimming!

Sort of.

Weiss couldn't help feeling a little proud at the small accomplishment that Ruby had achieved, even though floating on one's back wasn't exactly a front crawl, but it would do for now. She watched as Ruby's hips began to slowly sink into the pool, and her expression faltered. Weiss replaced her hands under the floating girl's behind and shoulders, bringing her back up to the surface. Ruby opened her eyes and smiled up at her. Weiss resisted the urge to smooch her friend in the water, lest she drop her below the surface and accidentally drown her. Ruby giggled and gave a huge smile.

"Hey Weiss, I swam on my own! I think I deserve some kind of reward, don't you?"

Weiss cocked her head down and smiled back. "What did you have in mind, my little Rose-Petal?"

As if to answer, Ruby closed her eyes and pushed her lips out, in a very inviting fashion. She remained lying on her back supported by Weiss in the water. Weiss smiled and looked around, making sure the coast was clear. Not that anyone at _her_ hotel would judge her for kissing another girl, of course.

"If you insist, Ruby."

She leaned her head down to meet Ruby's placing the softest of kisses upon the presented red pillows. Ruby had very kissable lips, she thought, her eyes drifting shut. She could feel her heartbeat slow as she allowed the sinful pleasure of this warm feeling flow through her. Her mind wandered to more visceral ideas about her friend, but was forcefully silenced as she tried to keep Ruby afloat.

 _Holy shit, Ruby knows how to kiss._

 _This is awesome._

'Awesome' was a word that Weiss almost never used. It was overly _pedestrian_ for her usual vernacular, as it held no real meaning. It was an ambiguous word, and one that had no true place. Except for here. There was no word that could accurately describe what it felt like to actually kiss the girl she was in love with properly, in such a romantic setting. It was _awesome._ Ruby's tongue flicked it's way into her mouth.

 _Whoa!_

Weiss shivered with delight and returned the amorous action, and she could feel Ruby roll over slightly and place a hand on the back of her neck. Weiss's arms became suddenly limp...

...Causing her to drop Ruby.

"Shit!"

 _Shit!_

Ruby flailed her arms, sending warm spring water everywhere as she slipped beneath the crystal surface. Weiss was knocked back slightly as Ruby rolled into her, legs a little weak from the lustful feeling of the previous kiss. Her head slipped under the surface, but she was quick to rotate her body and spring back up, wiping the water out of her eyes. There was a flailing mass of person before her, seemingly in the middle of drowning. Weiss dove back under the water, positioning herself beneath her friend. Her feet found tile as her arms wrapped themselves around Ruby, bridal-style. Weiss thrust the two of them upward, surfacing with the coughing mass of clumsiness in her arms. Ruby's breathing was ragged, her chest heaving as it tried to fill itself with more air than water.

"Why'd you try and drown me?!" the girl in her arms cried, turning an angry expression towards her. Weiss's heart returned to normal and she smiled back down at the frown.

"The hell are you smiling about?!"

Weiss laughed, receiving a smack in the shoulder from the girl in her arms. Only Ruby could be clumsy enough to drown in this little water, with a champion swimmer as a lifeguard.

"You're the one who wanted to kiss me while trying to swim, dummy."

Ruby looked offended, causing Weiss to chuckle. Ruby tried to punch again, but Weiss was quick to block it. The girl had one hell of a right-hook, after all. Weiss carried her through the water over to an outcropping of rocks near the other side of the pool, and sat the two of them down on an underwater bench. Ruby sighed contentedly and lay her cheek on Weiss's shoulder.

"What are we, Weiss?"

Weiss furrowed her brow and put an arm around her friend's side. She wasn't quite sure what they were. Dating? They sort of always were. They never left the other's side, save for when Ruby went away on missions or when she was away on business trips. Were they a couple? Probably, but _couple_ didn't quite seem like the right word. They had been _almost_ strictly monogamous, with Weiss taking occasional dates with men that her father _demanded_ she be with. But when it came to actually being romantic, Weiss realized that she had only ever really been with Ruby. It had been an eight-year relationship. Just without anything intimate.

 _We'll have to remedy that._

"I don't know, Ruby. But I _do_ know that I love it. I wouldn't change it for the world."

She lay her head on Ruby's and closed her eyes. The warm water of the spring was like a soft blanket around them, and Weiss wished that she never had to give up this feeling. Ruby whispered something quietly, and Weiss smiled and kissed the soft, wet brown hair at her cheek.

"I love you too, Ruby."

They remained in the pool for an hour or so, the snow drifting gently down over them as steam rose from the surface of the water. Weiss had humoured Ruby's attempts to play footsie under the water, their toes becoming intertwined. Weiss checked her fingers, and finding them _very_ pruned, alerted her friend that it was probably time to return to the room. They strolled slowly through the warm water, back over to the edge where the marble steps were. Ruby bounded up them, shrieking as the cold air started to freeze the water on her skin. Weiss laughed as she watched steam pool off her friend as she too stepped out into the frigid air. They donned their robes again and retreated back into the Lodge, kissing again briefly as the elevator brought them to their floor.

 _This has to be my new hobby. Ruby-smooching. Yes._

Weiss giggled to herself and turned a little pink as she opened the door to their room. She watched as Ruby zipped passed her, collecting her pyjamas from their home on the floor and retreat into the bathroom. Weiss sighed and slipped out of her robe, folding it neatly and placing it on her bed. She could hear Ruby's rustling from in the bathroom as she fought with the wet, tight bathing suit she had borrowed. Weiss untied the straps at her hips and around her neck and let the blue bikini fall to the floor. She stood there and pondered how funny it would be for Ruby to come back into the room proper and catch her in the nude.

 _Let's get laid. We have to._

Weiss smirked and disobeyed herself, slipping her lithe, nude frame into the plaid pyjamas she had placed on the pillow of her bed.

 _You must hate me or something._

Or something, probably. Weiss sat on the edge of her bed and began brushing her long white hair with the fingers, untying the off-centre ponytail and working out the knots. The mineral-rich spring water had left her usually silky smooth locks in clumps, much to her annoyance. The door of the bathroom creaked open and out stepped her girlfriend, clad in her usual dorky black pyjama pants and a semi-revealing tank top. Weiss let her eyes subconsciously wander down to the roundness of her friend's breasts. There was no harsh line indicating a bra. She shivered.

 _Excellent._

Ruby sat down on her bed and pulled out her scroll. Weiss could hear the faint sounds of some video game coming from the glass screen. Weiss continued to argue with her hair, becoming more and more frantic with her attempts at untangling. Clearly, it wasn't working. Weiss decided that the only way to solve her problem was with a shower.

 _With Ruby._

Weiss yanked reasonably hard on her own hair to try and quell the thoughts with pain.

 _Cut that out, me._

There was a bounce at the edge of her bed. She looked over and noticed that Ruby had sat down a few feet from her, on her knees with a very serious expression on her face. Weiss looked back at where Ruby _had_ been sitting to find the girl's scroll still open, the game seemingly paused. Ruby never stopped a game mid-play, even if she had to use the bathroom or was hungry. She would always keep playing. Weiss could immediately tell something was wrong.

"Weiss, I need to show you something, and you have to promise not to get upset."

Weiss looked over at Ruby again. The girl had turned pale, but her stern expression remained. Her hands were gripped on the hem of her shirt, looking as if she was about to take it off. Weiss chuckled at the sight.

"Ruby, I appreciate your eagerness, but you really don't _have_ to show me your breasts if you don't want to. And I have seen them on occasion back at Beacon, I won't be upset. In fact, I'll probably be a little jealous."

The look that Ruby gave her indicated that this was not where she was going with this.

 _Oops._

"Weiss, this is serious!" The pouting girl nearly shouted "But thank you, though. Promise you won't be upset?"

"I can hardly think of anything I'd be upset by under that shirt, Ruby."

"Promise!"

Weiss was a little flustered by this, but she sighed and conceded.

"I promise."

Ruby gave a weak smile and began slowly raising her shirt up. There it was. Exactly what Weiss expected.

 _Oh my gods..._

Her mouth dropped open a little, unable to form any words to explain. The scar on Ruby's stomach was nauseating, but she remained steadfast. The offending tissue ran from her hip, across her stomach to a place just under her left breast. The scar tissue was about two inches wide, and pink as a fresh strawberry. It looked like she had been sliced in half by a machete and crudely sewn back together.

"...Ruby..."

Ruby lifted her shirt a little further, exposing some underboob. There was a few matching scars that looked like puncture wounds, separated by about thirty or so centimetres. They were very distinctly the marks where fangs had entered her chest.

"...I..."

Ruby turned her body slightly to the right, and showed off a scar that ran up her flank, very clearly also made by something's teeth. The sight was frightening. Weiss tried not to scream. She had promised she wouldn't get upset, after all.

"What happened?" she managed, tears coming slowly to her eyes. Ruby was tearing up as well, as the action of showing the scars brought back memories that she desperately wanted to repress. Her usually bright silver eyes were faded a darker grey, and her chipper expression seemed almost like it never existed, replaced by a tearful military scowl.

"I was ambushed."

She gestured to the main diagonal scar, her voice wavering.

"Beowolf got me, claws tried to rip me in half."

Weiss was stunned. Ruby held her shirt up with one hand and brushed her fingers over the two puncture wounds. There was no expression on her face.

"Got me in its jaws here. I passed out from the shaking. I could actually feel its teeth inside me."

Her voice was ragged now, trying to hold back the sobbing that was likely imminent. Weiss knew she had to do something, she just couldn't fathom _what._

 _Give her a hug, you fucking moron._

Weiss scooted over to her friend who was kneeling on the bed. She placed her arms around Ruby, under the sad girl's armpits and hugged tightly. She could feel Ruby drape her arms around her neck, and begin quietly crying into the soft plaid fabric of her pyjamas. Weiss wanted to say she was safe now, but in truth, she wasn't sure how she was even alive in the first place. It actually looked like she had been killed and reassembled by a maniac doctor in a lab somewhere ominous. She instead decided to gently stroke Ruby's soft brown hair with her hand and hum quietly. A simple melody that she used to use to get Ruby to fall asleep back at Beacon whenever she had a nightmare and would crawl into bed with her. Ruby's breathing slowed, indicating that the song was working.

"I love you. You're here now and I love you. Never forget."

Ruby slumped her weight into her, briefly causing Weiss to falter, but she kept her friend upright. They stayed like this for a while, Weiss gently humming and stroking Ruby's hair, the latter being semi-shirtless. It was calm, tranquil, and easy. Ruby had stopped crying, but still refused to let go. Not that Weiss minded. She could take as long as she wanted. Ruby sniffled. Then giggled.

"Ugh, Weiss, you stink."

 _But I love you._

Weiss chuckled into Ruby's shoulder and agreed. It had been nearly forty-eight hours without one, no kidding she was getting a little rank. The mild sulphurous odor from the hot spring lingered on her skin and in her nose as well. She needed a show. Weiss loosened her grip on her girlfriend and leaned away, giving her a smile. She gestured towards the bathroom.

"I'm gonna have a quick shower. Call me if you need anything?"

Ruby pouted, but couldn't help smiling. She nodded and wiped some errant tears from her eyes. Weiss kissed the top of Ruby's head as she stood up, strolling over to the bathroom before shutting the door.

 _Should have offered to bring her with us._

Chapter 27

Ruby sniffled. She had overcome her biggest hurdle. She had shown the scar to someone other than a therapist. And that 'someone' had been Weiss, who aside from obviously being a little shocked hadn't reacted with the animosity she had been anticipating. No, Weiss had immediately offered love and affection, as if the horrifying scar hadn't affected her in the first place.

 _Maybe she thinks you're really ugly..._

Ruby looked away, despite the words coming from inside. She told herself it wasn't true. How could it be? Weiss thought she was the most beautiful person she had ever seen! Ruby's eyes were unconsciously drawn to the bathroom door as she heard the shower turn on. She grimaced slightly, thoughts of Weiss leaving based on appearance dancing though her head.

 _I'm alone..._

Ruby growled at herself quietly and stood up, walking over to the large window on the side of the room. The snow had picked up in the short time they had been back in the room and was whipping against the window, leaving little ice streaks. Ruby's reflection glared back at her, the ice on the window making it look like she was still crying. Her hand came to her face and brushed away the fictional tears. Ruby turned and looked over her shoulder to the bathroom door, where a gently humming was coming from. What Ruby did next happened entirely out of her own control. She rushed over and knocked on the door.

"Weiss?"

The humming stopped, followed by a stagnant pause.

"Yes, Ruby?"

Ruby's hand was still prepped to knock on the door. She lowered it cautiously, and stared down at her feet, a little nervous.

"Can I come in?"

Ruby couldn't help but smile a little as she could almost _hear_ Weiss drop her head into her hand and rub her temples.

"You realize I'm naked in here, right?"

 _Oh yeah?_

"Yeah, but I'm kinda lonely out here..."

She tried her best to fake a sad-sounding tone. It wasn't difficult because she was _actually_ a little sad still. She could hear Weiss sigh from behind the door.

"Alright. But no peeking!"

 _Bitch, that's what you think_

Ruby cautiously pushed the door open, trying to limit the amount of creaking that it would make. To her surprise, it made no such creaking, likely due to how new and well oiled the hinges still were, she figured. The bathroom smelled vaguely of lavender, and steam coated every surface. She peeked over at the glass box that was the shower, only to find it entirely steamed up. Weiss's body was silhouetted in the steam, and she could just barely see that she was _indeed_ naked.

 _Why does that surprise you? She's in the SHOWER._

Ruby leaned against the vanity and stared at the glass shower. The lavender-scented steam flowed into her nose and all around her body. She giggled quietly as she remembered the few times back at Beacon when she had walked in on Weiss in the shower, and the amusing screams that the ice princess had made. The door didn't have a freaking lock on it! It wasn't _her_ fault!

 _You should join her..._

Ruby's eyes shot open wide and she turned away, blushing like crazy.

 _Are you kidding? That's so...intimate! I'm not ready to be naked with her!_

Ruby didn't listen to Ruby.

"Hey, Weiss?"

There was a squeak as Weiss wiped a small eye-level window into the fogged glass box, her eyebrow raised in a mildly mocking manner.

"Yes, my little Rose-Petal?"

Ruby blushed.

"Can...I join you? To save water, you know." she mumbled and looked away again "It's wasteful to have two showers..."

Out of the corner of her eye she could see the face behind the window turn bright red. Her hand had found it's way back to the hem of her shirt and was fiddling with it anxiously, awaiting a response. Weiss's answer came out very choppy, clearly embarrassed and a little excited as well.

"Well... I-I guess...To save water, of c-course..."

No sooner had she finished her sentence and Ruby had stripped down to her birthday suit and _leaped_ across the bathroom to the glass door, her hands prepped to wrench it open. Weiss called out from inside, still sounding excited.

"Wait!"

Ruby waited impatiently.

"M-maybe dim the lights a little?"

Ruby's eyes shot over to the switch panel next to the door. She very slowly lowered one of the sliders and the bathroom lights dimmed to an almost candle-lit level. She returned her hand to the chrome handle on the shower's glass door.

"The no peeking rule still applies!"

 _That is still what YOU think._


	10. Chapter 10: To Want

Chapter 28

The hot water flowed over her body like a soft velvet blanket. The large circular shower head on the ceiling created a rain-like effect that she found very soothing.

 _This is the life..._

Weiss closed her eyes and tilted her head back, letting the water flow over her face and down her frame. The thoughts in her mind were lovely as well, as she imagined dancing naked in the rain, a symphony playing Bluethoven's Fifth as she did.

 _Wonderful_

Her blissful thoughts were interrupted by a knocking at the door. A soft, timid voice called out from the other side of it.

"Weiss?"

It was Ruby. She winced as she realized that she had just abandoned her friend to be alone, right after she had opened up about the scar.

 _I'm a terrible person._

She slumped forward, frowning. She knew she had to help her friend. She had promised that Ruby could call her if she needed anything, after all.

"Yes, Ruby?"

Her heart pounded. What if she wanted to join her in the shower? Her body shivered at the thought. The voice beyond the door called out again.

"Can I come in?"

 _May I come in._

Weiss sighed at her self for the immediate correction of Ruby's question. Why did she have to be so smart? It was a curse. Wait, did Ruby want to come into the bathroom? The actual content of the question suddenly registered in her brain. She looked down at her naked body, blushing as she realized the implications. The glass shower box had fogged up, and Weiss hoped it was opaque enough to hide her from her friend.

 _A little see-through wouldn't be so bad, though._

She dropped her head into her hands and rubbed her temples. Her mind was trying to kill her, she was certain.

"You do realize I'm naked in here, right?"

Weiss's hands were shaking. Certainly, Ruby wouldn't want to come in the room after that, right? She was far too bashful to actually make a move like that. Right?

 _Wrong!_

"Yeah, but I'm kinda lonely out here..."

 _Ha!_

Weiss's mind raced. Ruby _did_ want to join her, at least only for company. She _should_ have brought Ruby with her into the bathroom. Why did she leave her alone out there? Weiss felt like a bitch.

"Alright. But no peeking!"

She smiled at herself, content with the coy suggestion she had implied. Of course she wanted Ruby to peek. Come on! It was Ruby!

 _She's gonna want to join you..._

Weiss silenced the voice in her head as quickly as she could as she heard the bathroom door silently creak open. Clearly, the brunette was just as nervous as she was with _suddenly nudity._ There was the soft patter of Ruby's feet on the tile floor as she shuffled over to the vanity. Weiss could see the outline of her friend lean against the vanity through the fogged glass. Her heart raced as she realized she was _fully naked_ only a few feet away from the girl of her dreams.

 _Gosh, you sound so cliche._

She could hear Ruby shuffling uncomfortably outside the shower stall. It was mildly amusing to her, despite what had happened not five minutes ago. _Girl of your dreams._ Pah! What malarkey.

 _You know it's true. Give in to your feelings._

"Hey, Weiss?"

Weiss brought her hand up to the glass and rubbed a tiny window into the fogged door, just enough so she could see Ruby leaning against the vanity. The moisture squeaked against her hand.

"Yes, my little Rose-Petal?"

She watched as her friend shuddered and smiled at being called that. Weiss had seen that this nickname was working _wonders_ on the girl, and took a mental note to use is as many times as she could. Getting the upper hand on Ruby was always fun, of course. Weiss was the prepared one, never getting blindsided by comedic timing. What Ruby said next, however, she was not expecting.

"Can...I join you? To save water, you know." she mumbled and looked away again "It's wasteful to have two showers..."

 _WHAT_

 _OH MY_

 _YES PLEASE_

Weiss turned bright red in an instant. Like someone had flipped a switch connected to a red spotlight, which was now beaming through the small window in the steamed glass box. She could see Ruby's eyes light up behind her bangs, clearly subtly trying to gauge a reaction. Weiss's reaction had been the desired one.

 _Cheeky bugger..._

 _I guess I have to roll with it..._

Weiss's better judgment usually was a good thing. It kept her away from certain dates that would have ended poorly, it kept her from sustaining injury during sparring practice, and most importantly it kept her out of awkward situations. But in the past few years, she had begun sporadically ignoring her better judgment when it came to _Ruby._

"Well... I-I guess...To save water, of c-course..."

No sooner had the words left her mouth then Ruby had stripped down, completely naked, and had rushed toward the shower door. Her scar was out in the open. In the half-second before Ruby reached the stall, Weiss frowned to herself. Here was a girl who was so _ashamed_ of her injury, who had lied about it before, was now completely naked and about to jump in the shower with her. Sure, it _was_ Ruby, who was without a doubt seriously in love, but it just seemed like the younger brunette was acting a little _too_ forward. Weiss's mind raced as she tried to come up with a plan to try and ease the poor girl into this intimacy, lest she get hurt.

"Wait!"

To her surprise, Ruby waited. Weiss took a second to think, quickly determining that removing the lights might help the situation, and focus Ruby's mind more on the shower and perhaps not on her body. If she was lucky.

"M-maybe dim the lights a little?"

Her own breathing hitched a little as the lights came down. Somehow she had not seen the dimmer switches that were next to the main light switch. She cursed herself as she realized that as the light level had come down, the romance level had gone up. _Way_ up.

 _Shit!_

It was only a matter of time, she figured, until her hornyness got the better of her and she made a move on Ruby. Every single thing the girl had done in the past _eight freaking years_ had been one big long drawn out tease. Weiss's eye twitched. She could hear Ruby's grip on the shower door's handle tighten in anticipation. Weiss's grip on her own arm did too.

"The no peeking rule still applies!"

 _As if._

 _You pervert._

The door was pulled open, and much of the steam cloud Weiss had been hiding in pooled out of the isolated glass cell. The cool breeze from the air in the bathroom flowed into the box, sending a chill up Weiss's spine. Ruby's elbow brushed against hers. She shivered again.

 _What have I gotten myself into_

Ruby had her back to her, and Weiss so desperately wanted to turn around and do _something._ It was excruciating to be in this close proximity to a naked person who you were in love with. Someone who you wanted to _get freaky_ with. Weiss's mind was screaming like a siren for her to jump her friend right then and there. Of course, it would also shout for her to be patient and wait for the other girl to move first.

 _Why are you torturing me?_

Weiss hadn't realized she was shaking. Her eyes were glued shut, trying so desperately to wrench themselves open and peek at the goddess behind her. Well, less peek and more _consume._ The word 'blush' wasn't strong enough for what Weiss was doing at the moment. It felt like her whole body had become one with the colour red. Two arms were placed around her midsection, along with a very warm feeling as Ruby pressed herself against her. Weiss nearly leaped out of her skin, giving a shriek.

"Don't worry, my eyes are still closed. You told me not to peek."

 _Not to peek?_

 _Not to PEEK?_

 _YOUR BOOBS ARE TOUCHING ME!_

Weiss tried to stop her beating heart, which she was sure was going fast enough to be considered a projectile. She settled her back against Ruby's chest and relaxed her arms. She could feel a warm kiss placed on her shoulder as the round, adorable cheeks of her friend's face mushed themselves into her neck. _Somebody_ was enjoying this shower, and Weiss couldn't identify that person due to the nerves. Ruby spoke up in a sultry, inviting tone.

"Hey. Think we could use this shower for its intended purpose?"

 _Wh- What? I-I don't... Are you serious?_

Weiss's heart fluttered. Her mind raced. Was Ruby really suggesting that? Right _now?_ Well. Weiss guessed that she could go for that sort of activity right about now. She would have preferred to do it in a bed, her lover surrounded by rose petals, candlelight, soft music...

 _Weiss brain no work_

"Here you go. Mind doing me first?"

Weiss's legs almost buckled. She slowly spun around in Ruby's embrace, and put her hands on the girl's hips. Her breathing was ragged. She was _ready._ Something was bumped against her arm. It felt like it was made of plastic.

 _WOW. OKAY. I'M FINE WITH THIS._

Weiss's fingers gripped a little tighter against the womanly curves in her hands. Her eyes still closed, she blindly brought her hand up to grip the plastic cylinder at her left arm. It's cold.

 _Wait..._

 _Is this..._

It was. Weiss let out a disappointed sigh. She took the shampoo bottle in her hand, and tucked it up under her arm.

 _You're a fucking pervert, Weiss._

"Tilt your head back, you dolt."

 _Bit early for insults, me._

The pitch of the water falling against the shower floor changed as Ruby no doubt complied, and Weiss made to reach out and touch her head. Her hands felt blindly in the air between them, searching for the radiant figure. Weiss kept her hands held high, or high enough she hoped as to not accidental grope her friend. Washing someone's hair with your eyes closed was very difficult, as she soon found out. Her fingers finally made contact with something...

..squishy.

The object she had touched keeled away and shrieked.

"Ow! You jabbed me in the eye!"

 _FUCK_

Weiss yelped and her hands shot to her mouth, pushing as many 'I'm sorry's' out through the clenched fingers as she could. She wanted to open her eyes and try to help, but she was afraid that Ruby might yell at her for peeking. Weiss turned her body away, ashamed. There was a hand on her shoulder.

"Hey, now. It was an accident. It didn't even hurt! Turn around."

Weiss let herself be rotated back around under the downpour, her eyes still firmly glued shut. Two hands found their way to her shoulders.

"Let me help you wash me..."

The voice was like silk to her ears. The girl's usually high-pitched and rather abrasive tone that Weiss had grown accustomed to over the years was gone today, replaced by a sultry and sweet sound like fresh maple syrup. Very sweet, and she couldn't get enough. Weiss was sure she could listen to this voice explain particle physics and she'd be interested. It was a voice she was sure she could love. But the body it was attached to, however, was now doing something she _needed._

Ruby had began gently trailing her fingertips along Weiss's arms, making her way as slowly as she could to her hands. Weiss shivered. She _had_ to be teasing her on purpose. Weiss could understand if the girl was doing this so she could guide her wrists around, but did she have to do it so agonizingly slowly? Waves of pleasure ran up her spine.

 _Evidently, yes. Please continue._

When Ruby's hands had _finally_ made their way down the shivering girl's arms and wrapped around her wrists, she let her hands be brought up to the other's hair. The soft, damp mass under her fingers was like fine silk, and Weiss took a second to actually _enjoy_ the feeling of touching Ruby's hair. In the past, the bubbly brunette would seldom let anyone ever touch her hair. It was like she had some kind of anxiety-based aversion to it, or at least that was the excuse that Yang had given for her sister's weirdness. But today, in the shower, completely naked, Ruby had _encouraged_ Weiss to touch it. And she _loved_ it. Her fingers worked themselves down to the scalp, and she could feel every minute bump and line on Ruby's head. With her eyes closed still, it felt like she was sculpting fine clay.

"Hand me the shampoo, will you?"

The plastic bottle was quickly poked into her stomach. She jerked away a little at the sudden contact, but quickly relaxed and took the bottle in her left hand. Flicking the top open with her thumb, she raised it above her friend's head and squeezed an amount out she assumed would be enough for the girl's much shorter hair. Of course, she couldn't be certain, as her eyes were still shut, but by the way that it flowed _over_ the hand that was still in the hair, it might have been a little too much.

 _Hey, just in case you forgot, Ruby's naked. And right in front of you._

Weiss whimpered. More than anything in the world she wanted to open her eyes and take in the gorgeous person in front of her. She allowed the frown to come to her face, feeling a little dejected. It wasn't fair. Ruby had seen her in a bikini, a few times in the shower (by accident, damn that door and its lack of a lock), and once _sort of_ on purpose during one of their more recent weekly visits when Weiss had forgotten what time the girl would be arriving and hadn't finished changing. Ruby seemed to enjoy barging into rooms.

 _And the one time I had a chance to see, I just_ HAD _to make that 'no peeking' rule. I'm really stupid._

Weiss rubbed the shampoo in. She could feel the suds forming on her hands and making the soft brown hair slick and smooth. Weiss for once allowed her brain to draw pictures of Ruby in her head, seeing as she wasn't allowed the real thing. It probably wasn't the _best_ representation of the huntress's true figure, but it would do for now. The suds were coming out of the girl's hair. She massaged Ruby's scalp a little more, until she could no longer feel the distinct slick feeling that this particular brand of hair product made. She brought her hands down the sides of her friend's face to her neck, followed by the girl's rounded and muscular shoulders. They were _immensely_ _smooth_ from the shampoo suds that had been washed over them.

 _How would the rest of her body feel?_

Her breath hitched. Now she _needed_ to know.

"Can I _please_ peek, Ruby?"

There was a soft chuckle.

"Nope! I haven't done you yet!"

 _No, you haven't. You must DO me._

Chapter 29

Ruby had peeked already. Well, less 'peeked' and more 'had her eyes open the whole time'. It was both amusing and _alluring_ to see Weiss blushing like an idiot, completely naked, and under the assumption that she couldn't be seen. Ruby had a hard time _not_ looking at Weiss. She drank in every curve and smooth edge on the ice princess's perfect body, all the way down to her feet. Ruby's eyebrows perked up when she saw the scarlet red nail polish that had been applied with milli metrically perfect accuracy. She giggled to herself, thinking that perhaps this was a subtle hint that the slender girl was showing that she liked her.

 _Heh, she has a crush on me._

 _Wait, obviously she does._

Her silver eyes focused themselves on her friend's face, which was contorted into a strained visage, eyebrows furrowed and mouth tense as the girl's hands worked themselves through her hair. Ruby smiled and let her lidded eyes drift shut as she enjoyed the pleasurable feeling of the scalp-massage she was receiving. Tilting her head back and allowing the water to flow over her face, she began to feel the slick suds coming out of her hair and flow down her shoulders on to her chest. She thought about rubbing her now-slippery self against her friend.

 _Bad. Remember the scar._

She frowned at herself. _Why? Weiss isn't affected by it. Get over yourself._ Ruby wanted to reach into her brain and strangle her inner self. It had ruined a perfectly good perverted thought. About Weiss! She tried to move herself forward, but was interrupted by the ice princess's wavering voice.

"Can I _please_ peak, Ruby?"

Ruby chuckled to herself.

 _Ha! Told you she isn't bothered by it! She likes the way you look! Be a good girlfriend, idiot._

This was not the time to be that, she thought. More teasing was necessary. Ruby had picked up on Weiss's overly persistent longing for her over the last few years, and had been quietly holding it against her. At first, it seemed like the thin woman was simply being friendly, but the past two days in the car had cemented what Ruby had assumed from day one. She _wanted_ her. The thought brought a warm glow to her cheeks. Nobody had ever _wanted_ her before in that way. The last person who did...

 _You remember._

...She shook herself to try and forget that particular monster. She didn't need the nightmares anymore. She had her Weiss now.

"Nope! I haven't done you yet!"

 _I hope I'll get to do you soon._

There was a whimper. Ruby laughed at it to cover up the sudden intense heat that coursed through her chest. Ruby was not usually one to think about Weiss, or anyone for that matter, in _that_ way. She hadn't been able to in so many years. Not since _him,_ and certainly not since the attack. Was Weiss breaking her out of her shell?

 _She certainly broke you out of the closet._

Ruby let out a laugh, which garnered a confused but still blind expression from the girl in front of her. She sighed and waved it off, putting her arms around the slender figure and pulling her in for an embrace. A slippery, soapy, trembling embrace. Weiss seemed to be a little uncomfortable with being in contact with a naked body. Ruby released her friend from the hug and stepped back slightly, still smiling at the naked being before her.

 _Naked being? C'mon. That is a piece of ART._

"Okay, keep your eyes shut. I'm gonna do you now."

That definitely got a reaction. Weiss's whole body seemed to flush at the hidden implication that she had so fluently sewn into her words. Ruby brought her hands up to the girl's head and put her fingers into the damp white locks. It felt like Weiss had a long white satin sheet on her head. Whatever conditioner she used, Ruby took a mental note to buy as much as she could. As a huntress, the countless hours spent out in the woods and roughing it had mostly ruined her hair past the point of no return. Her own hair products could only do so much, but whatever magic Weiss used she guessed could only improve it.

 _Plus, maybe we'll get to shower with her more often._

Now who was being the pervert. Ruby winced unconsciously at the thought of being naked more often than she had to. As much as she knew that Weiss liked her body, she _still_ was having a few issues dealing with her own body image. Though it seemed like Weiss was helping in some way to try and boost her self esteem. Weiss was the only friend she had who had still continued to care for her, even this many years later. She smiled, picking up the shampoo bottle from where it sat on the little suction-cup shelf on one side of the glass shower cell. It was still open from when Weiss had poured most of it's contents into her short brown hair by accident, and Ruby sighed contentedly as she poured the _correct_ amount on to the long white hair of the blinded girl. It was amusing and a little endearing that Weiss had kept her eyes shut for this long in the presence of her girlfriend. Any sane person would have peaked, if only a little. Ruby appreciated that Weiss was strong enough to respect her like this.

"Okay, now tilt your head back."

Weiss complied, and Ruby began working the slippery blue soap in. She looked down at Weiss's body without even noticing.

 _Good heavens. What have we here?_

The gleaming pale skin stared back. Since Weiss seemed to be frozen in place, her figure looked like it was a marble sculpture, crafted by the divine angels themselves in their own image. Only shorter. Ruby let out a breath through her nose and smiled. Her hands slowed their massaging of the woman's scalp. Ruby's eyes were drawn back up to Weiss's collar bones, which looked like they could be used as weapons they were so sharp. Shivering as she imagined getting to kiss them, her eyes unconsciously drifted down to Weiss's chest.

 _Hello, sailor!_

Ruby's mouth dropped open. They were _immaculate._ Perfectly hung against the pale white skin and one hundred percent identical, as if they had been mirrored over the woman's sternum. They weren't as large as her own, due in part to her mother's wonderful genes, but they looked for sure like they had some weight to them, and they looked excellently firm. Perky, too. Ruby couldn't stop herself from staring. There was a small birthmark on the left one, in the shape of an arrowhead, the skin there being only _slightly_ darker, so you'd actually have to spend a reasonable time looking before you noticed it. Ruby decided to spend a reasonable time looking. Weiss still didn't know she had her eyes open, of course. A dark thought brewed.

 _Bite her on the nipple._

Ruby froze in place. Why? Why had her brain decided to do this? The heat in her chest resumed at full force, like it was trying to cook her from the inside. She had never known this kind of _sexual_ attraction before. She wanted it.

"I know what you're thinking about doing, Ruby."

Ruby's eyes shot upward to gaze into Weiss's face. Her eyes were still closed. _Whew._ Ruby noticed that she had stopped rubbing the hair. She had just been standing there, immobile, thinking about doing lewd things to her friend's _perfect_ breasts.

"I wouldn't mind..."

Something in her brain finally clicked. As Weiss's soft voice trailed off, her eyes opened, and Ruby could see deep into the baby blue orbs of her _lover._

 _Oh shit, what have I done_

Before she could even stop herself, the hands that she had worked into Weiss's hair slid down to the blushing cheeks and pulled them forward. The burning sensation in her chest was quickly overwhelmed by a new one, one that seemed to emanate from the other girl's lips. This kiss wasn't like any of the others she had received since they had started their journey and relationship. No, this one was different. It was like _fire._ In the four years that they had been roommates, there was a running joke that Weiss was actually made of ice, due to her abrasive and usually-angry attitude, but Ruby could tell now that this simply wasn't true. She had hard facts now. Weiss put up no fight to being dragged forward with such intensity, judging by how _eager_ her hands were, quickly sliding themselves around Ruby's back.

The soapy brine that had formed over the two women created a feeling that Ruby had never experienced before. The sensation of Weiss's hands on her skin was one without compare, akin only to what she guessed it felt like to discover your sense of touch as a baby. Her skin was _on fire_ from the way the slippery and searching hands on her back were moving. She brought her own hands down to Weiss's body. The skin beneath her fingertips was smooth like a sheet of wet ice, but it was as hot as a thousand infernos. She _wanted more._

Her hands trailed down to the thin, well set hips of her friend in a desperate fervour. The fiery kiss she was getting from the ice princess remained, like a heated war of passion. Each side represented by a burning, unrequited love that had stood between the two forces for eight years. It was a war she could enjoy winning. She wondered how far she could push this encounter. Her hands separated, one remained on the girl's hip, the other trailed it's way upward to the soft, soapy mounds above. Her breathing became hoarse, ragged and slowed as a hand found it's way to her _own_ chest, cupping the heavy breast, a slender thumb toying with the protruding portion like a toggle switch. Weiss had beaten her to the chase, clearly _far_ more excited to be getting a little risky. Ruby giggled onto her friend's mouth, causing the kiss to break for a split second, before resuming with greater passion as she was pulled back into the slender girl.

There was a stirring from below. Fingers trailed themselves from behind her back, around her hips and onto her stomach. Ruby briefly flinched as those fingers crosses over the exposed scar tissue, but her fears were quelled as she realized the intended destination, which seemed to be a few inches below her navel. The fingers circled the navel, tracing small circles that sent chills up her spine like she was being electrocuted.

 _GO._

 _LOWER._

 _NOW._

Stopping a her hand a few millimetres above the prize she so desperately wanted, Weiss broke the kiss. She was panting. It was _hot._

"How about..."

Her voice trailed off between the sharp intakes of breath.

"...we go back to the bed for the rest?"

 _NOW!_

Ruby didn't giggle. Her eyes didn't glow. She didn't act coy. What she did, in fact, was direct her silver eyes into the baby blue ones of the _bitch_ who had dared stop the journey to the good part, and glare. Without breaking eye contact, she reached over and shut the shower off, grabbed Weiss by the hand and led her out into the room without even towelling off. Her skin shouted at her momentarily as the cool air of the bedroom breezed against her, but the heat from wanting, no, _needing_ what Weiss was offering was swiftly warming her up again. Strolling over to the far bed by the window, she spun around and fell backwards, pulling Weiss down on top of her. The ice princess's still-wet hair piled over her shoulder and onto Ruby's face, but the pale girl was quick to send it back behind her with a dramatic flick of her head. Ruby's pupils _dared_ dilate at the sight. Weiss briefly placed her lips on Ruby's, before moving them past them and onto her cheeks. Ruby shivered as them made their way down her neck and onto her collar.

 _MORE._

Whatever good judgment she had was gone. Now was the time to enjoy _whatever_ her friend wanted to throw at her. She lay there on the mattress, underneath Weiss, who hand positioned herself so as to best move her hands over the still wet Ruby. The girl's kisses worked their way over her exposed collarbone, her left hand tracing lecherous circles around her stomach. As the taunting girl placed each sultry kiss on her chest, Ruby's breathing became more irregular, as her hands gripped the bedclothes tighter. The wonderfully new feeling of the gentle kisses on her skin had changed course. They were now making their way down the valley of her sternum, turning to one side and beginning the ascent towards the summit of the left-most peak. Ruby wanted this. She wanted it _now._ Her breath hitched as she let out a tiny whimper. Weiss's hand had drifted past her forbidden area, and was working up her inner thighs. With each minute movement towards the prize she so desperately wanted, Ruby's whole body shook. No one had ever touched her like this before.

 _Especially not him._

Ruby flinched.

"Weiss...stop..."

Chapter 30

 _CODE RED! ABORT!_

Weiss's mouth unlatched itself from it's place on the left breast. Her body coiled up like a spring and she _leaped_ backwards, coming to a stop on her knees at the edge of the bed, her arms straight down in front. _What have I done..._

Ruby gave her a confused, but pained look.

"Why'd...you stop?"

 _I did something wrong!_

Weiss looked away, trying to hide what she thought might be a feeling of shame.

"You told me to."

Her heart beat like a drum in her chest as she watched Ruby's chest rise and fall, clearly still feeling the effects of the actions. One's she wished with all her heart she could continue. Her heart pined as she watched the buxom girl close her legs and sit up on the bed. For once, she didn't stare at the girl's mesmerizing figure. All of her ingrained hornyness had been forced away by that treacherous four letter word. _Stop._ She felt like a criminal. No, worse. Like a monster. She hadn't asked for permission. Or consent. Despite Ruby's insistence, that thought lingered in her head.

 _Why? Why couldn't I stop myself?_

"Weiss, come back..."

Ruby's voice seemed far away. Weiss shut her eyes and straightened her back. Now was not the time to be pouting. Neither was this an acceptable topic for a woman of her age and standing to be pouting about. She looked Ruby in the eye. She looked scared, sad, and a bit confused.

"I don't think I was quite ready for this. I don't think you were either." Ruby's gaze shifted away "Now, this doesn't mean I don't want you, Ruby, because believe me, I don't think I could go another minute without it..."

 _This makes you the bad guy..._

Weiss scrunched up her face, turning her her body so she was positioned with her legs overhanging the side of the bed.

"...but I think that I may have pushed you a little too far, and for that I'm sorry. I want you to know that I love you and I respect you."

Ruby brought her knees up to her chest and planted her face into them. Something was definitely bothering her. Weiss needed to know, and tried to ask, before being interrupted.

"I love you too. I didn't mean for you to hate me..."

Weiss shut her eyes and tried to stifle a scream.

"I don't hate you, Ruby. I feel like you should hate me for being too forward."

Ruby seemed to frown at this.

"You weren't. I wanted it. I just..."

Weiss was confused. Was it her fault? Was it something else entirely? She scooted closer to the now-trembling girl, wrapping her arms around her shoulders. Whatever the problem was, she was sure Ruby would tell her in time. She opened up about the damn scar, after all. Whatever this was surely was trivial. Weiss sniffled into Ruby's shoulder, before looking the cuddled girl in the eye.

"I'm gonna put my pyjamas on, and I'll literally be right there if you need me. You could whisper and I'll hear you." she said, gesturing towards her own bed, only two metres away. As she stood up, Ruby's hand on her shoulder stopped her. There was something that the silver eyes seemed to want.

"Could you...maybe...stay naked? I-I kinda like it..." the quiet voice trailed off "...it makes me feel safe knowing that you're able to be comfortable around me..."

Weiss smiled and sat back down, giving her friend a gentle kiss on the forehead.

"Anything for you, my little Rose-Petal."

She crossed the small divide between the beds, and crawled beneath the soft silk sheets on her bed, enjoying the feeling of the fabric brushing over her naked frame.

 _Oh right, we're still fully naked._

Weiss couldn't stop the glow that came to her cheeks as she leaned over the side and pulled her book out of her suitcase. Had she taken this trip with Blake, she likely would have brought all the pre-release copies of the faunus's favourite smut series, _Ninja's of Love,_ that she had been given by the author himself. But alas, bringing these books to Ruby would have gotten her yelled at. Although Ruby _is_ pretty cute when she's upset, she figured, cracking open the comparatively mundane copy of _Knight's Brigade._ As she flipped her bookmark out, she could hear the subtle shuffling as her friend tucked herself into her own bed. She mumbled something, almost too quiet to hear.

"Goodnight Weiss. I love you..."

Weiss smiled over at her in the dim room.

"Sweet dreams, my love."

She could hear a soft giggle from the other bed.

She returned to her book, her eyes lidded from the day's activities. Her arms were nearing the point where they would just give in and she'd drop the book. Her eyes betrayed her. She slumped her body down below the sheets, waking consciousness fading quickly. She hoped she could dream about her Ruby again. And she hoped Ruby would dream about her, too.

Boy, was she wrong.


	11. Chapter 11: The Dream

**A/N: Severe content warning. I urge you, if you feel uncomfortable with the material, do not read it. If you have concerns, please message me privately. I have bolded the next chapter heading so it can be easily found. You have been warned. Credit to TacoTuesday137 for turning my terrible rough draft into what you see below.**

Chapter 31

 _She's trapped. No matter how far she runs, and no matter where she hides away, there is no where she's safe. He's always there. Right there, just across the hall, waiting. Waiting for her. His smile seems sweet and innocent, but she knows it too well. She's seen it before; let it trick her into feeling safe. She knows what he's planning, and what he wants._

 _"Hey. Thought we could have some fun before class."_

 _It's not a request, it's a demand. She knows not to say no. He trained her not to, after all. It will hurt if she says no, but then, it always does. She knows she can't escape the pain_

 _He forces his way into into the dorm, his grip tightening around her arm. She searches around the room, but no one is there to help her. Her partner, her sister, and her friend were all gone. It was her fault now. She should have gone with them, but she stayed. Her search ends as she's pushed onto a mattress by him. The sheets smother her as he presses down on her body._

 _"Maybe you'll even enjoy it this time"_

 _Tears begin to form, and she considers letting them flow, but she can't. He hates it when she cries. It makes him the bad guy, and he'll yell at her for it. She can't handle the yelling. Her breath hitches as she holds it back. As she lies there, terrified, she takes in a lovely scent. It reminds her of flowers in the winter. It's calming, and though it won't end the fear, it's subsided. She longs for someone like her winter flower. She acts tough, but truly cares. He's rough, and only pretends to care._

 _His buckle clinks around and hits her as he rushes to discard his pants. The heavy metal stings as it smacks against her bruised body. She squirms away, but he grabs ahold of her and lifts her hips into the air. It's humiliating, being posed like an animal. Even her porn-reading roommate, who was an actual animal, had more dignity than this. She felt the fabric rip along her skin, and a chill ran up from her legs. She wants to fight. She tries. She strains her leg against him trying to push him off._

 _But it just makes him hungrier_

 _"Don't make me do this"_

 _His hand cracks against her skin. It stings, and the tears threaten her again. She feels him tug at her skirt, dragging the coarse fabric against her skin. He stops. It's gone. She's vulnerable now. He can see almost everything, and as if he had won the battle, she feels him reach for his prize. She hides, as best she can, in the fragrance of her partner, hoping that by some miracle it will save her. His calloused hands are rough when he grabs her bruised hips._

 _There is no foreplay. There is no warning. There is just him._

 _And the pain._

 _There is always the pain_

 _There's heat. Lots of heat. It's not like the warm fire from before him, it just burns. She needs away from him. Her teeth squeeze on her tongue to stifle her screams. She buries her face in her partner's pillow, hoping for a shred of relief, a shred of love. Yet, nothing. It's just him_

 _All those years fighting monsters, and not one of those cuts by a weapon had hurt as much as this. With each thrust, she felt her body tearing apart. With each thrust, she felt her heart crumble a little more. It was always like this. All twenty-seven times. All of them! It never felt anything like what they said. It was never sweet, and it was never good. Did they just lie to her?_

 _She counted them all. Each painful thrust. It was consistent, like a machine. At first, it took only one hundred and thirty four. Yesterday it was one hundred and ninety eight. Distractions. Her friends_

 _The white haired heiress, who took her into town and bought her ice cream, held her hand, and helped her with her homework. She was nice, if a bit shouty. But she cared. She cared..._

 _One hundred and five._

 _The black haired faunus who lent her books, hung out in the library, and offered to spar with her on occasion. She was quiet, and always smelled like lavender. It was normally soothing._

 _One hundred and seventy six_

 _The golden haired boxer. Her sister. The girl who would kill him without remorse for even thinking about being sexual with her. Where was she now? Where was she when she was really needed. She was in class, being studious._

 _Two hundred._

 _He surpasses himself. The pain hasn't subsided, and won't. Each thrust is like a hammer, and she can feel the bruising getting worse. She fights the tears, but they disobey. They fall quietly onto the snowy flower, tainting the only relief she had left. He grunts at her. She pleads that he's close._

 _He isn't._

 _He's been training. Almost every night, he trains with his own partner, only to use the effort here. It was always getting longer, never ending. It was hell. She could feel the pain in her chest, in her arms, and in her hands. They began to fail, no longer able to hold her up. She collapsed forward, and he hit something new. The pain seared through her body, feeling like she had been submerged in boiling oil._

 _At least that would result in death. This will never end. The pain never stops._

 _He had surpassed two hundred and fifty. It would be soon now, It had to be. As if she had any control over it. His hands dig into her hips as he uses them to pull her closer, forcing deeper._

 _Each time he reached fully forward, he presses against the end, threatening to break through the small, spongy skin._

 _They increased with speed and force. He was close. It might soon be over. He tugged her close one last time. She ended the counter at two hundred and sixty one. She could feel it. The warmth washing over the tears and the bruises, stinging the wounds one last time._

 _She knew he could sense it. He had too. He pushed more frequently when it was risky, like he wanted something more. Today was the worst. She let the tears soak into her partner's pillow. Why would he do this?_

 _All of her money went to the pills. The pharmacist even knew her name. She could never pay for the things she needed, because she was saving herself. He never had to. He just smiled at it. He would never have to deal with it. He would be happy not to._

 _She hears his buckle clack against itself as he redressed. She finally let her hips collapse. She hurt. She laid on the bed, defeated, tired, and dirtied. He yanks her skirt down over her legs. He leans over her head. He whispers into her ear._

 _"Thanks, Ruby. I had a great time."_

 _Why, Jaune? Please..._

 **Chapter 32**

Weiss was torn from her ever-pleasant dreams about the adorable girl in the other bed by an unholy, blood-curdling scream. Her body jerked bolt-upright in the bed, the covers flinging off. What in the world could be making that sound? Her head snapped over to Ruby.

 _oh FUCK_

Ruby was sitting up with her back pressed hard against the headboard, the sheets pulled taut up to her chin, as if she was shielding herself. Ruby's screams quickly devolved into uncontrollable sobbing. As if she had teleported, Weiss suddenly found herself kneeling at the edge of the bed, her knees stinging from where they had been slid across the carpet.

"Ruby! Are you okay?!"

Ruby shrieked as she looked over, recoiling slightly at the sudden presence. Weiss's heart stopped. Was it her? Had she done something wrong? Any thoughts about it being her fault were immediately washed away as the sobbing mass pummelled into her, knocking them both off the bed and onto the carpet between the two beds. Ruby sobbed purposefully into Weiss's neck as she lay her weight down. Weiss hadn't had time to react yet, and was a little frightened by how forcefully she had been thrown to the floor. Her heart rate quickened as the mass of person on her chest squeezed her much too tight, her breath being forced out. This was only a minor inconvenience compared to whatever her Ruby was crying about.

 _What did I do? What do I DO?_

Weiss wiggled her arms out from their trapped place at her side and wound them around Ruby's torso, bringing one hand up to stroke the trembling messy hair. Ruby's sobs were deafening in her ear, especially in the sound-dampened room, but she refused to let the ringing bother her. Ruby came first.

 _I'm not even going to spin that in a perverted way. Ruby is the number one priority._

She pulled her arms tighter around the girl, not quite to the extent she was currently being squished, but enough to try and calm the poor, crying creature.

"Shhh. I'm here, Ruby. I'm here..."

She let her voice trail off to a whisper, as the girl finally took a breath inward, her lungs shuddering like a machine gun as she fought the tears. Weiss worked her fingers into the girl's hair, brushing through the tangles and trying to offer a calming presence. She began humming the quiet song that her mother used to sing whenever her or her siblings were sick in bed, the same one she would sing to Ruby whenever she had nightmares back at Beacon. It always worked. As it was now. Ruby's loud sobs subsided, replaced by a silent whine, interspersed by loud, wet sniffles. Weiss continued to hold onto her friend, who had mercifully loosened her death-hold, finally allowing her to breathe. She nuzzled her cheek into Ruby's, humming quietly into the girl's ear. Ruby let out a quiet noise.

"He's back..."

Whoever was back didn't matter at the moment. All that mattered was Ruby. Weiss moved her body to indicate that Ruby might be crushing her, sitting up as the girl sat up straight, still straddling her lap. Weiss wrapped her arms back around the girl, nuzzling her head into Ruby's collar. She hushed the crying girl with a slender finger pressed to her lips, placing a single kiss on the exposed collarbone.

"Bed. Now." she insisted softly, moving herself upwards under the girl. Ruby got up off of her, and Weiss quickly stood up and lightly guided the tear-soaked girl over to her bed, away from the messy prison she had awoken in. Weiss half-sat down on her bed, leaning against the headboard. She allowed Ruby to cuddle her naked body up to her and rest her head on her also-still-exposed breasts. Rather annoyingly her heart decided to flutter as she realized how close Ruby's mouth was to her...

 _...focus on making her stop crying._

Ruby sniffled. Weiss smiled at how adorable it sounded. Her hand made it's way back up to the messy brown mop of hair, gently beginning to stroke it again. She sniffled herself. She hadn't noticed that her own eyes had teared up. Whatever, it wasn't going to bother her, she wasn't even wearing any makeup.

"Weiss?"

She turned her attention down to the head on her chest. Ruby's eyes were closed, and she had moulded her mouth and cheek against the Weiss's left breast. The sensitive mound perched on the end was dangerously close to her mouth.

That explains the mild discomfort. But it's Ruby, so she can use them as pillows if she likes. I-I kinda like it too...

"Yes, my love?"

She tried to no avail to force any unclean thoughts out of her head. This was not the time for any of that. It was time to help Ruby. The girl seemed to shiver a little at being called her love, which amused her just so.

"I think I have to talk about it now."

She knew what it was. Since second year, Ruby had been having nightmares about a monster which haunted her psyche, worse than any Monster of Grimm that they had ever encountered. He had been their neighbour. Her eye twitched at the memory. He always seemed so flirtatious, making many unwarranted advances, day after day. He never showed any interest in Ruby. Just two days ago, Ruby had made a huge leap in confiding that he might have been less-than consensual with her without going into any details. Not that details were necessary, of course. He was the reason that she spent many nights in the lower bunk with her, trembling and crying herself back to sleep. Weiss always assumed they were run-of-the-mill bad dreams, but now she knew the truth.

"You don't have to. I know."

Ruby sniffed, her face shifting slightly against it's firm, naked pillow. Weiss hugged her a little closer, kissing the brown hair gently.

"But he..."

"Shhh. I know you don't want to think about it. Just focus on cuddling, my little Rose-Petal."

There was a momentary pause that hung in the air like a moist, repugnant fog.

"But I'm broken. Worthless..."

Weiss had to physically restrain herself from shouting about just how _vividly_ incorrect Ruby was about this. Her fingernails were beginning to cut into her cheeks. She released the hand that was over her mouth and tried to not sound so angry.

"No. You are worth more than the entire world, Ruby Rose. You are still the perfect girl I ran into eight years ago."

"But..."

"No buts."

Ruby's grip on her midsection tightened slightly. Weiss slowed her breathing, which had inexplicably quickened. He had ruined her. Like a predator breaks its prey before consuming it. Weiss needed now more than ever to play Field Surgeon and try to heal the wound that seemed to be a thousand times bigger than the one on her stomach.

"Ruby, I want you to listen to me. I know that you feel like somehow it's your fault. It is not." she said, emphasizing the 'not' while shaking her head.

"He...sorry, it is an unapologetic monster who deserves no respect from you and certainly doesn't warrant your forgiveness. I promise you, Ruby. I will certainly never forgive him."

Ruby perked her eyes up, a tiny smile breaking across the formerly crying visage. Weiss stiffened her gaze and gave a vicious smile.

"...at least not while he still draws breath."

Weiss closed her eyes. Ruby gave a soft giggle, barely audible over the intense ringing in her brain. Surgery successful, she (rather correctly) assumed. She could feel Ruby shift her lower body, her left leg coiling around hers. Ruby tried to bite her lower lip gently. She missed her lip.

 _Now? R-really?_

Weiss's eyes shot open. In the act of opening her mouth to bite the lip, Ruby seemed to have accidentally caught her lips around something similarly soft and poofy. The fire that had been lit last night during their nearly-sexual encounter was suddenly re-lit, as Ruby started gently sucking on what she thought was her own lower lip.

 _Do you really think it was an accident?_

 _I hope it wasn't._

Weiss nearly had steam coming out of her ears. As much as any person with a pulse would be, or should be enjoying this, she knew that this wasn't the time. Why in hell did this always happen? Weiss was sure that the universe had excellent comedic timing. Weiss tried to compose herself and come up with the correct way to ask the sad girl to stop.

 _Okay, how's this: 'My dearest Ruby Rose. I understand how you are feeling right now, and I want you to know that I'm here for you. I love you more than anything. I also recognize that whenever you are nervous or scared you have a habit of sucking on your own lower lip. I regret to inform you that what you are currently sucking on is not your own lip. Would you kindly release my nipple?'_

 _Hey, that's not so bad._

"Mu-uhhh..."

The _instant_ she opened her mouth to begin her speech, her whole body shivered with sinful pleasure, causing the most unladylike of moans to be pushed past her lips. Ruby seemed to stop her agonizingly concupiscent sucking, which for once was okay with Weiss. Ruby turned her face up without unlatching, her silver eyes seeming to be as innocent as the day they first met. Weiss's cheeks were on fire. She dared not look into Ruby's beautiful eyes, lest she get any foolish ideas about her friend and the position of her lips. She pointed at her own chest. Ruby turned her gaze back down to the exposed white skin she was cuddling on, and pulled her face back. Soft mound bounced back into place, little ripples flowing over it. Weiss fought the urge to moan again as Ruby turned her gaze back upward.

Weiss wanted to open her mouth again and try and explain, but she was afraid her nerves would betray her. A smile cracked across Ruby's face. Her eyes lightened, and she burst out laughing, her face still very close to Weiss's own.

 _You asshole!_

Ruby rolled over and clutched at her sides, taking sharp breaths to recoup all of the air she was laughing out of her lungs. Weiss sat frozen in shame as she could only watch the naked girl almost roll off the bed from laughing so hard. It wasn't funny. Well. Okay, maybe it was a little funny. But only a little. Ruby sighed deeply, smiling like a fool and laying on her back, arms akimbo across Weiss's legs. She tilted her head back and looked at her upside-down. Weiss allowed an embarrassed smile come to her face.

 _Gods damn, she's cute._

Ruby crawled back up the bed and cuddled herself back onto Weiss's chest, careful not to put her mouth back over the sensitive area, but certainly not before placing a scandalous kiss on the exposed mound. It had been a good distraction from her nightmare, but it seemed to have left some unintended consequences in her lower region.

 _Tease._

Chapter 33

 _Weiss loves me!_

Ruby's face warmed. Well obviously she did. Eight years, and the only person who ever stood by her side was Weiss. Even in this time of debilitating grief, Weiss had remained the only bright constant. Sure, she had told her that she loved her many times in the past, but those instances were usually done in mockery of some humorous action that Ruby had done by accident, like once after she had tripped over her own laces and smeared her ice cream on her own face. Weiss's genuine laughter at that had made the cuts on her knees worth it. She had said she loved her then, and every time since. Ruby shivered. Somehow, this feeling of love both confused and excited her.

 _Nobody's ever loved me before._

 _I like it._

Whatever scowl that had come to her face from remembering what not being loved felt like was washed away. Just the day before, she had admitted to being in love with the now-snoozing ice princess, and her heart had tried to punch itself through her rib cage from embarrassment. Now, however, Ruby felt perfectly fine admitting that same fact. But something inside her pined. She frowned and poked a solitary finger into Weiss's stomach. The girl she was cuddled on stirred slightly.

"Hmm?"

Ruby opened her mouth to speak, but no words came. Weiss opened one eye and smiled down at her.

"Something on your mind, Rose-Petal?"

 _Shucks._

"Do you love me?"

Weiss let out a soft laugh and shut her eye again.

"Unquestionably."

Ruby furrowed her brow and nodded slowly.

"Why?"

A very uncomfortable pause permeated the air. Ruby's hands trembled against her friend's midsection. Maybe she doesn't actually like me, her brain quipped. Ruby shut her eyes and tried not to cry at the thought. Her body shifted as Weiss sat up a little straighter and cleared her throat.

"Okay, first of all, yes I really do."

Ruby let out the breath she hadn't realized she was holding.

"Second of all, it's because A, you're a dolt; B, you're clumsy as all get-out; C, you are charming and friendly in any given situation without question..."

Weiss paused and gave her a wink.

"...but most importantly, you are the single most genuine person I've ever met."

The smile she was displaying caused a fire in her chest. Not the same one from yesterday, Ruby calculated, but one of similar intensity.

"Also you're extremely good-looking without your clothes on. I'll be keeping you around for that, too."

 _Oh my!_

Ruby blushed a vivid colour. Weiss wanted to keep her around? She decided that this was acceptable. She wanted to keep the beautiful compliment-machine around as well. She enjoyed every single time she had been called a dolt, a moron, a klutz, because each 'insult' was always said with a thinly-veiled smile. One that Ruby had fallen in love with. Why? Why did Weiss's insults affect her so positively? The questions that bombarded her head were not important right now. She knew that she was for once in her life, actually happy, despite not one hour ago being tortured in her own head from the memories of him. Weiss made her happy, plain and simple. She also made her...

 _Uh oh._

Something stirred below.

 _No, no. No. NO. Nononononono. We're hurting right now! And that thing we just did to Weiss! Not now!_

Ruby's body relented. She felt like she needed it. No, she actually did need it. Something that no person had ever given her. Respect. Weiss had showed miraculous control yesterday when she had accidentally asked her to stop. But...that was supposed to be normal. Ruby wanted to cry. She was in a corner trapped between being annoyingly aroused and frightened of him again. She knew she had to get over it.

"Weiss..." her voice wavered, the warm tingling from below overwhelming her. The ice princess opened her eyes and looked down at her with those piercing baby blue orbs that she loved.

 _Gotta feel good again. Need to feel good again! Weiss make Ruby feel good!_

"That thing I did to you by accident..."

She looked away, unable to control her madly aroused facial expression.

"...may you please so it to me?"

Weiss's mouth dropped slightly open. This sudden request for action seemed to confuse the girl, especially when it came from the usually timid Ruby. She persisted.

"Un-unless you don't want to... I mean, you don't have to. Gods, I'm sorry, I just..."

Weiss interrupted.

"Do I have your express permission to do so?"

 _What do I even say to that? Yes? Please? Yes please?_

"Y-yes..." she mumbled, turning away. Ruby didn't quite understand what she meant by 'express permission'. She still wasn't fully comfortable with the idea of anyone touching her in a sexual way, although somehow she was okay with Weiss doing it. Unfortunately for her own conscience, she now needed a bit of Weiss-related stress relief. Her head tried to explain herself, but her body refused to comply.

"I-I mean, it's fine if you don't, I just don't know if... well, I guess I do... but, like, if it's a big deal..."

She was silenced by a finger pressed to her lips. Weiss brought them both upright so they were kneeling on the bed. She gave her a look that seemed to be made of concern, excitement, and mild confusion. Ruby shivered, turning her eyes away, briefly forgetting they were still both naked. Weiss's skin glowed in the dim dawn light that was just now cracking into the room. The sight alone sent shivers up her spine.

 _Gods damn it. Why is she so attractive? And why am I so freaking aroused?_

Weiss fixed a serious stare on her, washing away a portion of the good feelings from below, replacing them with hidden worry. She placed a hand on her cheek and Ruby briefly flinched, but settled against it after a moment.

"Ruby. Do I have your consent? I refuse to move any closer until you are comfortable."

Consent.

 _Consent._

This was a concept so strangely foreign to her. Every nightmare, every vision, every hallucination. All about this one vividly morbid topic. Weiss was now asking her for permission to touch her. This should have been normal. Why wasn't this normal? Ruby shut her eyes and exhaled deeply. Here was a girl, so uptight and wealthy, probably used to getting whatever she wanted whenever she wanted, who was gentle and thoughtful enough to ask permission to take what she already had. Weiss really did love her. She cared. A smile graced her lips as she opened her eyes, to find exactly the person she needed staring back at her.

And smiling.

 _This is normal. I like normal._

"You have my consent."

Weiss's smile turned from caring to mischievous. It might get a little intense, Ruby thought.

Chapter 34

Weiss had cuddled herself up onto Ruby's rather ample chest and had decided that this was the place to rest. They had decided that sex might not quite be a good idea, no matter how much trust Ruby had for her. Ruby had had a nightmare. Weiss had stayed up the two hours after to try and lull her friend back into dreamland, cuddling and offering as much physical comfort as Ruby needed. While yes, she had given her consent to be sexual, and Weiss still cursed herself for refusing, she had decided that a heated encounter just might make the situation worse. Instead of the action Ruby had been expecting; being some less-than-straight girl touching, Weiss had simply pulled her friend close to her heart and held her there. The instant she had done this, Ruby had started crying. What she had thought was arousal, Weiss had instead explained that it was something else. What Ruby had wanted was quick relief to numb the pain, but it wasn't what she needed. She needed a hug. So that's what Weiss gave her.

Not that she minded, of course, it made her Ruby happy.

 _She's not YOURS, you imbecile. We just went over this!_

As much as she wanted to punch herself for seeming possessive, she couldn't help but smirk into the soft white skin of Ruby's stomach at the post-coital glow she had going on. Perhaps a small amount of possessive feelings were okay, she figured. It had been eight years, after all.

 _Oh my gods, we get it. You guys have been together forever. Just get married already!_

Weiss let out a snort, causing Ruby to giggle. Weiss lifted her head off of her friend's stomach to look up at her. Her face had contorted into a childish smile, and her cheeks had gone bright red. Weiss realized she might have accidentally tickled her with her nose. She broke out another of her mischievous grins. Ruby flinched excitedly. Weiss pushed her face back onto the exposed stomach and blew a loud and rather obnoxious raspberry into the soft and squishy flesh. Ruby squealed like a stuck Boarbatusk, reeling her legs up and vibrating like an unbalanced wheel, her well-toned abdominal muscles tightening up like a drum. She screamed for her to cut it out, unable to control her laughing. The reaction alone made Weiss gleefully happy, despite the notion that she hadn't actually…

...well, gotten any.

 _Oh well. Ruby comes first._

She stopped tickling her girlfriend for a second and frowned at the double entendre.

 _That wasn't even intentional._

Ruby's giggle subsided as Weiss pulled herself up and put her arm around her friend's shoulders. Ruby made a few 'Happy Ruby Noises' into the crook of her neck. It was properly adorable that Ruby's ability to from the lost sleep from earlier. She gave Ruby a wet smooch on the cheek, exciting another cheerful giggle from the tired brunette.

 _~She would never say where she came from. Yesterday don't matter, when it's gone...~_

Weiss frowned. Her scroll was ringing with it's usual ringtone, while not normally strange, a quick glance at the clock had her confused. Who could be calling at five in the gods-damn morning? She reached over and answered before the old song got annoying to her sleepy friend. Without even checking who was calling she swiped her thumb against the screen and commanded that whoever had the audacity to interrupt sexy-time explain themselves.

"Mmf...h'llo?" she asked, her body still tired.

 _"Good morning, dear sister. I hope I haven't awoken you."_

Weiss sighed and rubbed her eyes with her palm.

"Hello, Whitley. It's five o'clock, what do you need?"

 _"Oh I was just wondering what time you will be arriving at dear Winter's house. You know she tried to call you many times, dear sister."_

"I've told you enough times to use my actual name, Shit-ley. And we won't be showing up until supper time, she knows that. Or, she's supposed to. I called her before we left from the manor! I think."

She pulled the screen from her face. It did in fact indicate that she had missed seven calls. Ruby stirred in her grasp, her lidded eyes trying to see who was calling at this ungodly hour.

"mmm Whozat?" She asked, sleepy and exhausted from being deprived of her precious sleep. Whitley's voice called out from the tiny earpiece.

 _"Is that Miss Rose I hear? Do put her on, dear si- ahem, Weiss."_

Weiss chuckled at her baby brother's flustered tone. He likely still had a crush on her Ruby.

"Yeah, sure." _She's mine now, sucker_ "I'll put us on speaker."

Weiss hit the button on the screen and held it at arm's length. The folly of the Scroll phone system was that while being exceptionally well made with good ergonomics and user interface, the programmers had set the 'speaker' function to use the phone's external and forward-facing speaker. Which was like an air horn.

" _Hello Ruby, I..."_

Whitley trailed off. There was a very uncomfortable silence. Was he shy? Weiss smirked at her reflection in the screen. Of course that was it! He was always so enamoured with her every time she was around, following her like a puppy around the house. Despite her own attraction, it was always humorous the way he acted around her. Wait, this pause seemed a little too long. Had the call been dropped?

"Whit, you still there?"

" _Uhh..."_

 _"_ Something wrong? Something you need?"

Another pause, shorter this time.

 _"Therapy."_

Weiss snorted. Something was always causing him to say that. What a drama queen.

"What is it this time? Anxiety over hearing the sweet sound of a Rose?"

Weiss was very wrong.

 _"That wasn't the speaker function. You hit the camera feed button. I can, uh...I-I can see you guys."_

Weiss went white. Then red. Then green. The she dropped her scroll onto the bed and burst out laughing. He had seen the two of them naked, clearly cuddling after what looked like a 'romantic encounter'. She was going to _have_ to tell Winter about this.


	12. Chapter 12: Calling her Mine

Chapter 35

Ruby's eyes drifted open. The morning sun was viciously shining through the few-centimetre gap in the drapes from across the room, directly onto her face. She squinted in the bright beam of pain, her arms trying to support her as she went to sit up. Something was out of place, but she couldn't quite figure it out yet as her brain began the slow process of rebooting. She ran a mental tally. Pyjamas, check. Hotel room, check. Scroll and wallet on the bedside table, check. It finally clicked in her mind.

 _Where's my girlfriend?_

Ruby was confused. She vaguely remembered falling asleep on the girl's chest, soothed by the gentle sound of her heartbeat, likely only an hour or so prior. She looked down at what she had been cuddling, to find one of Weiss's travelling stuffed animals, this time a light brown teddy bear wearing an SDC branded bow tie. He was very cute, she imagined, smiling. Her ears were the next sense to come back to working order, and they promptly alerted her to the sound of an electric toothbrush coming from the bathroom not three metres away. She let out a soft sigh.

 _Wait, why am I in pyjamas? Didn't I fall asleep naked?_

Her questions were cut short by the sound of the bathroom door opening. A very sleepy and dishevelled-looking Weiss strolled back out into the room. Ruby turned a little pink at the sight. She was very attractive, clad only in the unbuttoned flannel pyjama top, her ice-blue panties, and a set of rimless glasses. Ruby rubbed her eyes and yawned.

"Why'm I wearing pyjamas?"

Weiss turned her head to look over, a little distracted by stuffing her toothbrush back into her bag.

"Well..." she spoke, placing her hands on her lower back and stretching "...I woke up a while ago and it was very cold in here. You were shivering, so I found your pj's and got you back into them. You're an exceptionally heavy sleeper, you know."

Ruby looked at her and grinned. What a lovely person, caring for others before herself, she thought. The sunlight glinted off her glasses.

 _Whoa, wait a second. Something's not right here._

Weiss gave her a soft smile, striding over to her and dropping down onto the bed. Ruby giggled as Weiss placed a soft kiss on her cheek, brushing her long white hair back behind her ear in just the way she liked. The glasses brushed against her cheek. Ruby's likely still-sleeping brain finally caught up to the world. She gave Weiss a puzzled yet enamoured look.

"You wear glasses?"

Weiss chuckled at her, placing another kiss on her, this time on her nose.

"Good morning sleepyhead, I'm glad your brain has woken up. Yes, I do in the morning so I don't have to put my contacts in before my coffee."

Ruby was still puzzled. She swung her legs over the side of the bed and groggily tried to stand up, only for her muscles to collapse and force her back down. Weiss gave her an amused smile, and Ruby couldn't help but smile back, blushing a little. The sharp morning sunlight that was invading their little room was reflecting off Weiss's spectacles in a very cinematic way, Ruby thought.

"You wear contacts?"

Weiss shrugged. "Only when I'm driving. I made the mistake of leaving them in for the last three days, so my eyes are still a little sore. Why, do you like them?"

 _So you're keeping those on? Good._

Ruby mumbled out an answer in the affirmative, turning a little red in the face. Damn Weiss and her ability to be spectacularly attractive without any makeup on! It just wasn't fair! Although, judging by the way that she was eyeing her at the moment, perhaps it was fair. Ruby felt a little bashful at the idea that she was attractive to somebody, especially to Weiss. Said girl stood up off the bed and glided soundlessly over to one of her suitcases, fiddling with the gold-plated latches for a second. Ruby watched, still mostly asleep. She loved her friend so dearly. Who else would turn down sex to try and fix an underlying issue? Just Weiss, that's who. Weiss gave her a sultry look over her shoulder, before grabbing a handful of clothes and walking towards the bathroom again. Ruby piped up.

"Wait, where're you going?"

Weiss stopped mid stride, turning and hiding the bundle of clothes behind her back. The action of turning caused the unbuttoned shirt to briefly fly open, exposing two things Ruby wasn't expecting to see so early in the morning. Her eyes glazed over for a moment, distracted. Weiss cocked an eyebrow.

"Did you want to watch?"

Ruby nodded vigorously. Weiss chuckled at her.

 _Again with that! Why you gotta be so mean?_

"Too bad" she said with a wink, striding back over and into the bathroom, the door clicking shut behind her.

 _OY!_

Ruby was now alone again, sitting on the edge of the bed, stuffed bear in hand. The world was still coming into focus, and her head was still swimming a little. She checked the clock, Nine in the morning. What did that mean? What does "nine" represent? Something about the position of the moon? Nah. Ruby yawned again, slumping her shoulders forward. Weiss had left her alone again. In her morning-tired state, she couldn't figure out if she should feel sad about this. She tried to get up again, this time succeeding. She dragged her feet over to where she had thrown her bag against the wall, and digging through it, she pulled out her favourite black jeans and her red hoodie. She frowned, as the hoodie smelled a bit musky. She knew she should have washed it before they left.

 _Oh well._

She stuck the hoodie back into the bag, and pulled out a simple white button-up, likely the only 'girly' thing she had brought. It would be flattering, of course, and with the well-fitting jeans, she imagined Weiss might think she actually had taste, for once. She slid off her pyjama pants, only to find that she was actually wearing underwear. She checked under her shirt as well.

 _Bra, too? And it's even adjusted correctly? Wow, I am a heavy sleeper._

She shrugged, raising an eyebrow. Lucky for her, Weiss had managed to find the clean underwear she had packed and put them on her. Ruby pulled on the pants, struggling a little to get them over her wide-set hips. She pulled off her tank top, and stood up again from where she had sat down. Strolling over to the window, still sans-chemise, Ruby took a moment to look out over the courtyard below. Nobody was outside, and the air looked suspiciously calm. She furrowed her brow, turning back around and walking over to the TV stand, grabbing her blouse on the way. Clicking the flat-screen and flipping through the channels, Ruby sat down on the edge of her bed, tossing on the shirt.

 _"...derate winds later today, calm this morning. You should expect a few scattered flurries in the late afternoon, temperatures dropping down to a brisk minus thirty-five. Current temperature is a calm minus twenty-six all across the Saxony region, so if you're heading outside, remember to bundle up..."_

Ruby stopped buttoning up her blouse, turning her eyes back over to the window. She wasn't fully listening to the weather report, but she had heard 'minus' and 'twenty-six'. Today was definitely heavy coat weather. She grumbled to herself as she remembered that her winter jacket was still in the truck, which was likely frozen by now. The bathroom door creaked silently open, drawing her attention over to it. She wasn't expecting what stepped out.

"Hello, professor..."

Ruby's brain shut off. She had caught a glimpse of the clothes Weiss had smuggled into the bathroom and seen a hint of red plaid. At that moment, she had thought nothing of it as Weiss on occasion actually wore plaid shirts, and once she had even worn a fully plaid suit just to mess with some board members on April Fool's Day. But this was something different. Her eyes were drawn down to the skirt first, red, plaid and as short as was allowed by the school's rules. Then there was the white blouse, which seemed to be a few sizes too small on purpose, with the ribbon tied under the collar in just the right way. And finally, that jacket. Ruby couldn't speak. That freaking gold trimmed jacket! Her mouth watered. This was a new level of not fair. Weiss sauntered over, her hips sashaying under the loose short skirt.

"I seem to be a little late on my assignment, and I really don't want to miss any grades..."

Ruby opened her mouth to speak, but no recognizable words came out, just noises.

 _Aroused noises._

Weiss dropped herself into Ruby's lap and slung her arms around her neck, giving her a seductive pout. Ruby's mind was like an air-raid siren, screaming for her to kiss this sultry schoolgirl. Her hands rose up to grasp the girl around the midsection. Her face leaned up to her friend's, who leaned down to match. Ruby's heart rate didn't just quicken, it exploded. Her breathing was now very heavy, and she could feel the heat from Weiss's mouth. But, at the last gods-damn second, Weiss pulled back and jumped off her lap, giving her a sly smile.

 _WHAT THE FUCK_

"Like what you see? I kept it because I remembered how much you like it."

 _FUCK_

"It was a little difficult to get Miss Goodwitch to let me keep it, but I was convincing enough" the vixen said, twirling in place. The skirt flared up a bit as she did, revealing a little more that a hint of posterior. Ruby felt a pang in her chest. Anger. Weiss had dared to deny her a kiss, especially one where she was dressed as her secret...well, fetish. Ruby hated that Weiss had remembered that, seeing as she didn't get to actually do anything about it.

"Ruby like!"

Her hand shot to her mouth. She hadn't expected to blurt that out, her face now becoming a violent shade of red. Why? Did her brain have to always do this? Weiss covered her mouth and giggled at her, striding forward and straddling her hips on the edge of the bed. Her body was now dangerously close, and Ruby so desperately wanted to ravage this cruel person. Her voice was sweet and quiet, whispering almost.

"If Ruby likes, then Ruby should take..."

That was the point that she snapped. Her brain woke up like a bomb going off, all of her senses focusing themselves on the girl in front of her like lasers. Her hands cruised around to her back, pulling her as close as she physically could. There lips met.

 _Wait, that's not right._

Their lips _collided._ Ruby needed her fix. She needed it. There was a fire at her lips. However passionately she tried to kiss her friend, her endeavours were returned with the exact same passion. Clearly, Weiss wanted it too. Ruby's heart yearned for more. Her hands found their way down to Weiss's exposed, porcelain legs, her palms gripping themselves under the toned calves. She hoisted her upwards effortlessly, exciting a quiet shriek from within the white-haired schoolgirl's mouth, which was still firmly planted on her own. Weiss's legs found their way around her back, Ruby's hands supporting her posterior as she forced the girl up against the wall, which shook from the impact. The force of the collision coupled with Weiss's wanton grasping knocked a lamp off the table next to them. Ruby didn't flinch. She didn't dare separate. It felt too damn good. Weiss's hands were running up and down her back, her nails nearly digging through her crisp white blouse, dragging aggressive circles against her back. Her heart pounded, nails digging into the soft flesh of her friend's thighs. I'm losing control, she thought, willingly letting herself continue this forward charge into unknown territory. One hand slid itself up the thigh, underneath the plaid mini-skirt, her fingers slipping up under the cuff of her underpants to feel the soft skin beneath. The forbidden skin. She could feel Weiss's mouth contort into a smile, their lips and tongues still intertwined. There was a burning sensation in her chest.

 _Hey. Genius. Remember that stuff called air? Yeah, you need some._

Ruby pulled off, gasping for breath. Her lover's mouth hung open, and very demanding laughter escaped from it, biting her lower lip. Ruby let her chest rise and fall with sufficient force, not yet daring to make eye contact. She looked up. The glowing baby-blue eyes of her friend were extremely dilated, a lustful look emanating from deep within. She considered their position, giggled slightly, and slowly released Weiss, letting her stand on her own two feet again. She backed away a bit, keeping her hands on her friend's hips, a sheepish smile coming to her face. She had never been so forward before.

"Sorry..."

Weiss's nostrils flared.

"Why are you sorry? That was excellent..."

Ruby blushed, turning her face away and letting go. She stepped away and walked back over to her bed, finishing buttoning up her blouse all the way up. Weiss slumped her back against the wall and caressed her own lip, a wicked grin coming to her face. Ruby internally was fuming at the girl's seemingly innate ability to turn her way too far on. She had never acted out like that before, it had been such a rush. She shivered. What if...

 _...That's what it felt like for him._

Oh no. Not again. Losing control was one thing she was okay with, especially when it came to combat, but this was different. She couldn't be like him, just taking whatever she wanted. Why did Weiss seem excited by it? Is that normal? No, it certainly couldn't be. She shook her head to try and get rid of the thoughts, but they persisted. She hung her head and collapsed into the bed, tears forming. Could she take no pleasure in anything anymore?

The bedding rustled next to her as her victim sat down very quickly. Arms found their way around her, and a soft voice whispered in her ear that everything was alright. Ruby sniffed, trying to sit up straight. She felt like she had overstepped some boundary. Something grabbed her jaw and spun her face around, but she didn't dare open her eyes, lest the tears flow.

"Ruby, look at me."

She warily opened her eyes. Weiss was very close to her face, expression stern, but still caring.

"I know what you are thinking. I asked you to. I'm going to ask you to do that again in the future. Everything is fine, now."

She didn't know what to say. Everything was fine?

"If you think you have to apologize or make it up to me, you don't."

 _But I..._

"I mean, you could buy me breakfast. And maybe kiss me like that again later."

All of Ruby's worries were swept away again as the white-haired vixen once again leaned in and placed a much softer and much sweeter kiss on her lips. There was no more angst. It had all been replaced by a new feeling, one she needed. A feeling where he was no longer important, where Weiss kissed her and loved her properly, and where she was allowed to have a reasonable relationship with someone who actually mattered. A feeling, she liked.

 _Bliss._

Chapter 36

Back down in the lobby, Weiss let her girlfriend fetch the keys to her truck. She knew that it wouldn't have been a problem if she had done it, seeing as she owned the entire hotel, she just didn't feel like yelling at anyone today, especially not any valets or bellhops. A warm smile came to her face as she remembered the expression of sheer terror that the homophobic man had given her yesterday when she had hoisted him from the ground with one hand and mutilated him with just her voice. A text from her PA that morning had confirmed that their "aggressive proposition" had worked, and that a formal apology would be coming to her soon, and that their night would be paid for in full, so Ruby could have her six-hundred lien back. Jeez that room had been expensive. Her attention was drawn back over to Ruby, who was bouncing back over to where she had sat down for a second.

 _Yes, bouncing is definitely the operative word here. Yowza._

She shook her head and tried to get the images of her friend's chest out of her head. It was much too early in the morning to be a pervert. There had already been a nearly x-rated encounter, there didn't need to be another one here in the lobby. She stood up and grabbed the pull handles of her two expensive suitcases and followed the bubbly brunette over to the exit, waving goodbye to the desk clerk as she strode past. As she turned her eyes forward, she couldn't help but notice the action of Ruby's hips as they seemed to sway like a pendulum.

 _A sexy, sexy pendulum. Damn those pants fit you well._

Weiss swallowed hard. Welp, back to our regularly scheduled program. They made it out to the truck, which was waiting patiently for them, it's enormous engine rumbling quietly. Weiss noticed that it seemed to be idling slightly lower than it had been yesterday, caused likely by the increase in primary carburetor jet size changing the fuel mixture. Enough of that, her mind chastised as they made their way around to the back of the large red SUV. It was spotlessly clean, of course, the hinges on the tire carrier and glass hatch moving smoothly and silently as they had certainly been oiled as well. She smiled. Ruby's truck had been given such a pampering, more so than it had ever been. The truck's owner seemed giddy, which made Weiss smile even more.

They climbed up into the meticulously cleaned and vacuumed cabin, which smelled like a mix between fresh flowers and old hot rods. A good smell, Weiss affirmed. She looked around the interior. There were no candy wrappers, the seat fabric was no longer stressed and ripped, the wood panelling on the dashboard was varnished within an inch of it's life. She looked over at Ruby, concerned that her friend would accuse her of going over the top. On the contrary, she seemed excited, judging by her tone of voice.

"Look at all this! It's like new in here!"

Weiss chuckled. A common thing for her now, it seemed.

"You know, I only requested that they fix the high idle problem, not do a ground-up restoration on it."

Ruby bounced up and down on the bench seat, squealing with joy.

"But I like it! It's never been this clean before!"

Weiss sighed contentedly. Ruby was happy and that's all that mattered. Ruby put her truck in gear, and rolled them out onto the road again. The big engine sang it's guttural song as she stuck the accelerator down, pulling them down the road with all the smoothness of a rubber band. The low growl soothed her, a gentle reminder that all bad things come to an end in here. Ruby was back in her truck, smiling like an idiot, completely oblivious to the previous night's terrors. This could be her happy place, Weiss guessed. The way that the jumpy girl seemed to be behaving was indicative of a reasonably vast change in attitude from the morning, like something that she had done had clicked in Ruby's head, ridding her of the anxiety he brought her. That didn't matter anymore.

 _All that matters is my darling Ruby. She's happy now._

They descended the mountain, the sweeping snow-covered corners effortlessly dealt with by the aggressive snow tires. Weiss leaned her back against the door and turned her body to face her friend, smiling as she watched her focus intently on not spinning out or crashing off the pass. Under the focused and furrowed expression, Weiss could see hints of excitement in Ruby's sparkling silver eyes. She was enjoying driving down the snow-covered pass, and turning to look out the enormous windshield, Weiss suddenly figured out why. It looked like a rally stage. An idea came to her. She knew Ruby liked driving fast and all things related to that subject, evident from the number of car posters and racing video games strewn about her room back at the little bungalow. Driving made her happy. It was time to make her even more happy.

"Hey Rubes..." she said, gesturing towards the digital clock, displayed on the aftermarket stereo. It read nine-fifty.

"If you can get us to the bottom of the pass before ten, I'll buy you lunch when we get to Frühlingdorf. If you don't, well I guess I'll have to change out of this skirt."

Ruby's head whipped sideways, a betrayed look upon her face. Weiss grinned at her, feeling content that Ruby liked seeing her in the old school uniform. Without breaking her glare, Ruby reached down to the transfer-case lever on the floor and kicked it out of four-wheel-drive. The whole truck seemed to vibrate in anticipation. This may have been a mistake, she thought to herself, turning forward again in her seat.

"Is that a challenge?"

 _I regret this decision._

"Put on the hurt, my little Rose-Petal"

 _Oh no._

Ruby's glare became a sinister smile as she turned her attention back to the snowy road in front. She slammed the gear lever all the way down into first and booted the accelerator. The engine exploded into a cacophony of sound, like a dragon roaring directly in her face, as every single one of the motor's four-hundred and fifty cubic inches detonated at the same time. The three carburetors howled like a pack of beowolves as they sucked countless gallons of air into the cylinders. The rear tires unhooked from the snowy surface and slipped sideways under the onslaught of torque. Weiss shrieked excitedly as they barrelled towards the corner, still sideways. Her driver didn't flinch. She didn't brake. A quick left-right dash at the wheel put the truck fully sideways, the engine opening up and breathing deep. Weiss looked over at Ruby, who had an almost distracted expression on her face. She turned the wheel all the way over to the right, counter-steering against the lazy but loud drift she had initiated. Quick jabs at the skinny pedal with her foot kept the truck perfectly angled going around the corner. Her left knee came up to the bottom of the old wooden steering wheel, holding it in place. Her hands came away from the wheel and went to the buttons on her shirt.

 _Whoa, hang on. What does she think she's doing?_

Weiss looked up at Ruby's face, which was still looking through the windshield, thank heavens, and the long sweeping corner showed no signs of ending. Weiss closed her eyes in fear. Ruby had taken her hands from the wheel? Did she want to crash?

"Hey, Weiss! Look at my boobs!"

Weiss looked.

 _WHAT THE HELL, RUBY?!_

Her face went red. Ruby had kept the truck sliding around the corner with her knee, whilst simultaneously unbuttoning her shirt to expose herself. She had turned her body slightly sideways on the bench, displaying her ample chest and ignoring the road. Weiss's brain had stopped working again. This girl was going to give her an aneurysm, she was sure of it. Ruby grabbed the wheel with her left hand and swapped feet, placing her left one on the accelerator as she actually undid her seat belt and slid sideways on the bench seat, pressing her chest up against Weiss's arm.

"I can do this all day, Weiss-Cream. You owe me lunch, I believe."

She slid back over and ended the long slow drift at corner exit, continuing down the road. Weiss grumbled to herself, but slid over to Ruby's side and started to re-button Ruby's blouse back up. She ignored the speed that Ruby was achieving going down the pass, mildly annoyed at her unreasonable skill at handling the large, unruly truck in the slippery conditions. A soft kiss was placed on her head, making her smile warmly, despite the annoyance of a person who had given it. She knew Ruby was a good driver, of course, but this was a little much. She leaned herself back to an upright position to look at her girlfriend. She wanted to frown at her, but she found herself unable. Ruby was much too cute.

 _Show off._

Chapter 37

"Sho..." she said, mouth full of doughnut "What's the scariest Grimm you've come across?"

Ruby shuddered in her seat, taking a bite of her own doughnut to try and quell the memory. They were sitting in the parking lot of a small drive-through coffee shop, snow falling gently around them.

"Ugh, we don't even have a name for it. It was this giant horse-looking thing with weird stretchy arms. A real nightmare to take down. Squad commander just listed it as FUT dash one on the post-mission brief."

Weiss cocked her eyebrow, looking over. Ruby wanted to giggle at the small amount of chocolate that had collected in the corner of her mouth, but that would ruin the serious tone she was trying to achieve.

"FUT?"

"Fucked-Up-Thing. It's unofficial name on all recent documents has been "Nuckelavee". Some North-Valean legend about a skinless horseman, or something, I dunno, it's been a while since we killed it and no more have shown up, so Squad Commander thinks it was a one-time thing."

She watched as Weiss pondered this creature, mouth agape. Ruby took a sip of her drink, which she recognized as cheap coffee. Yes, it sucked, but they needed the caffeine for the ten hours of driving they would be doing.

"What did it look like?"

Ruby grimaced.

"About fifteen feet tall, black as the night, skeletal. It's horse-body-bit-thing had what looked like a rider glued on it's back, which was similarly skeletal, with these haunting rubbery arms and an almost human-looking face."

Weiss looked horrified, as she should. It had been horrifying.

"It wasn't that big of a threat, as it turns out. I was with the best strike team on Remnant, after all"

"Who was on your team?"

Ruby smiled. As hard as it was being a huntress, it always helped when she was with her Alpha Squad.

"Well, there's me, obviously, Agent Red, scout first class, Agent Mulan, tactics and espionage, Agent Thor, grenadier first class, demolitions, and Squad Commander, Agent Beaufort."

Weiss scrunched up her face.

"Those names seem awfully familiar, Ruby. Mulan? Thor? Beaufort? By any chance would that be Ren and Nora?"

"Ding ding ding! Ten points to the pretty girl in the front row!"

"And who was Agent Beaufort? That name has no connection for me."

"You remember Cardin?"

Ruby giggled as she watched Weiss's eyes widen, and her mouth twist into a frown.

"Before you go ballistic, he's actually a great guy and a fantastic commander, he's not a bully anymore."

Weiss was silent for a second before blurting out a few obscenities.

"But all that bullshit he did to Velvet? What the fuck was all that, then?!"

"Clever acting to keep his racist team in check. Did you not go to their wedding?"

Weiss's mouth hung open, still angry.

"They got _married_?!"

Ruby laughed at her friend, who was making way too big a deal out of this.

"I just don't...but he was...h-how did... what the fuck?"

"Yep."

Weiss's shoulders fell back against the seat, and a confused expression across her face. Ruby explained that during the fall of Beacon, he had saved her life more than once, finally allowing himself to be honest with her and admit his feelings after his team was killed. She also explained that Coco did in fact try to kill him at his own wedding, which was a fantastic spectacle to watch in itself. He wasn't the bad guy, after all. He was charming and polite, and he made probably the best miniature cakes that she had ever eaten, likely one of the reasons Velvet had fallen for him. Ruby explained that Cardin would be retiring from active duty soon, and that he and Velvet had plans to move away to mistral and open a coffee shop together. She affirmed to Weiss that they were an odd couple.

"I still don't understand what she sees in him, Ruby."

"Love, ah, finds a way."

Weiss chuckled. Ruby calculated that Weiss did this too much.

"Were you even born when that movie came out?"

"I was not. Although dad took me and Yang to see the second one when it came out."

Weiss turned in her chair, taking a sip of her drink.

"And I bet you were adorable. So what are Ren and Nora like when they're together, like when you guys are out in the wild?"

Ruby laughed out loud, almost spilling her drink on the freshly-cleaned seat.

"Holy cow, you don't want to know. Cardin and I spent many night awake, patrolling because we couldn't stand the sounds of the two of them having loud sex. I lost so much sleep on that mission because of them. When Cardin questioned them as to what they were doing, Ren simply said they were having a lover's quarrel."

"And how did Nora describe it?" Weiss asked, taking a long drink. Ruby gave a wicked smile.

"Power-booping"

Weiss spit all of her coffee out onto the windshield, causing Ruby to burst out laughing like a maniac. Hot coffee dripped from Weiss's mouth, down her chin and onto her jacket.

"Are you fucking kidding me?"

Ruby continued laughing, having great difficulty breathing.

"I've never seen anyone manage to break both a box-spring and a mattress before, but they somehow managed at one of the inns we stayed at. In like the first twenty minutes we were there. Here's the thing, you remember that Velvet is a rabbit-faunus, of course, and Cardin told me even she isn't like that."

Weiss giggled again, wiping her chin off in the process.

"How do they not have kids yet?!"

Ruby shrugged.

"Aggressive contraceptives would be my guess."

Weiss turned, concerned look on her face.

"They make condoms that strong?"

"I guess they do. I'm more surprised that she hasn't shattered his hips yet. Dude's got constitution to keep up with the mighty Agent Thor."

Ruby sighed contentedly as she watched Weiss's face contort, likely picturing Ren and Nora in the act of power-booping. It was funny now, of course, despite how loud and annoying they were on mission. But of course she was happy for them, seeing as they were now together-together. It gave her an idea.

"Weiss?"

The girl shook the remaining bad images out of her head and smiled over at her, making Ruby blush. Weiss's smile was contagious.

"Yes, my little Rose-Petal?"

Be still, my beating heart. Still, I say!

"We're together-together, right?"

Weiss smiled again.

"I'd say so. Why do you ask?"

Ruby beamed, hiding her malicious intent.

"Wanna power-boop later?"


	13. Chapter 13: Sniper

Chapter 38

The steel stock was cold against her cheek, her neck bent at a mild angle to look down the scope. She was lying prone on the ground, belly down on a rough cotton blanket. Her breath pooled around her face, gently fogging up the delicate glass optic. The grip was rough against her right hand, her left elbow was dug into the ground to support her torso.

"Plus two rise" her spotter said. She lifted her right hand gingerly from the grip and twisted the vertical adjustment dial on the scope, watching the black cross-hair lower slightly on the tree she was aimed at, indicating that she was now aimed slightly more upwards.

"Time to target?" she questioned. Her spotter fumbled with her spotter's aperture.

"Four point five seconds."

She pondered this. Whatever she wanted to hit would need a reasonable lead time if it was moving. Her hand returned to the grip, pausing there for a moment as she gingerly turned the long barrel to the left, scanning the horizon for something to hit. A lone beowolf came into view.

"Eyes on target."

"I see it."

She watched it move for a minute. It looked to be of average size, walking at a slow pace. Only ten metres of lead distance would be necessary, she quickly calculated.

"Effective firing range?"

"Four thousand metres."

"Distance to target?"

There was a pause as her spotter fiddled with the aperture's laser distance sensor, followed by the sound of scribbling of a pencil.

"Three thousand, eight hundred and ninety-four metres."

 _Too close._

She held her right hand out, waiting for her payload. The sound of steel being pulled out foam was deafening in her ear. She heard her spotter press two rounds into the magazine. The first one making that signature clink as it bit into the spring, the second one scraping against the first, pulling some of the brass polish off. Not that the polish would be around for much longer, of course. The magazine was pushed against her palm. She exhaled a cloud of breath around her own face again, bringing the magazine to the magwell. It slipped in with ease, clicking into place once fully seated. Her hand moved from the bottom of the magazine to the bolt handle. She tracked the beowolf as it moved across the landscape nearly four kilometres in front of her. Her hand twitched on the bolt handle, not used to using a right-handed weapon. She lifted the bolt, sliding it smoothly back so the shell ejector wouldn't spring the first round out and onto the blanket. When it was in it's fully back position, she let go, bringing her hand down to the blanket, her eye still firmly glued to the soon-to-be-dead Grimm.

"Windspeed at target?"

More silence.

"Six kilometres per hour, due North..." more scribbling "...fourteen degrees west."

She twisted the lateral adjustment dial one click to the right. Right on target. Her right hand came up to the bolt handle again, fingers wrapping around it.

"Remember, only throw that bolt forward when you're ready to end a life."

She smiled slightly. Grimm don't have lives. They're just mindless creatures who feed on death and destruction. Killing one measly beowolf would be no big issue for her. She moved the bolt handle forward, feeling each notch and slide as it moved the huge round off of the magazine's follower and into the firing chamber. The final click it made to signify that it was prepped to fire gave her a warm feeling in her chest as she rotated the bolt handle down into firing position. Her hand slid silently back onto the grip, index finger resting on the receiver case and not the trigger. Gun safety was paramount, even when killing Grimm.

"Shooter ready."

"All clear."

Her finger moved down to the trigger. Her breathing slowed, methodical as she readied the shot. Her finger squeezed slightly, prepping the complex two-stage trigger. Any further and there would be only one chance to kill this ugly beast. She gave a few metres of lead.

"Aim for centre mass."

Her smile returned. She was going for the head. She rotated her wrist slightly, finger still poised on the trigger. She held her breath.

 _Squeeze, don't pull._

She squeezed. The weapon exploded, the pneumatic barrel careening backward into the gun, the shockwave kicking up the light dusting of snow that was under the barrel. Bright orange flame licked out from the muzzle break, filling her optic with only a blinding white light for a moment. Without hesitation, her right hand shot up to the bolt, and in one swift movement, she chambered the follow-up round. Her sight returned to the beowolf, which was still alive for the moment. It would only be a matter of time, she knew, as she counted out the seconds in her mind.

 _Three..._

 _Two..._

She waited. Then the beowolf's head exploded in a cloud of black mist. The rest of the body seemed to pause in mid-stride, as if it was confused by it's own lack of head. It finally slumped to the ground, the flesh slowly becoming that odorous black mist that they all hated. Not that it mattered, it was four kilometres away, she couldn't smell it from here. Satisfied with her shot, she removed her cheek from the side of the stock and leaned her face away from the scope, flicking the safety switch upward. She got back up on her knees, finally comfortable compared to the belly-down position she had been lying in. Shouldering the rifle properly and working the bolt to eject the unused round, she looked over at her spotter. Who was frowning at her.

"What part of 'centre mass' did you not understand?"

 _But I didn't miss!_

Her fantasy was shattered.

"But I did still kill it."

Her spotter's frown subsided, and her hand released from her own sniper, her knuckles white and strained against the polished red paintwork.

"You have a fantasy monologue of being a spec-ops sniper going on in your head, don't you."

Weiss giggled.

"Yes, I do. And it was spectacular. What's that phrase you use? Use many bullets but only one hits?"

Ruby dropped her head into her hands, grumbling.

"No, wait I remember. It was 'one shot, one kill', Rose-Petal. You've taught me well."

Ruby laughed. "And you call me the dolt."

Yeah. But you love me anyways.

"Do you know why we always were taught to aim for centre mass instead of the head?"

Weiss gave an upward glance at Ruby while she pulled the empty magazine from her rifle, giving her a shrug.

"Haven't a clue."

Ruby sighed.

"Well, in video games, you get extra points for landing skill shots, right? But in real life combat situations, there is no points, no achievements, no 'winning'. Landing a hit on mass is much easier and much more consistent than trying to be fancy and landing headshots. If you miss a headshot, you die. Squad commander doesn't want us to die."

Weiss frowned. What Ruby said was true, of course. In combat situations it was better to land more hits to ensure a kill than it was to risk missing, even if hitting a Grimm in the head guaranteed a kill in one shot. She silently put away the rifle back into the foam-filled steel carrying case it had been given to her in. She looked over her shoulder at Ruby, who was putting her very own rifle, the infamous Crescent Rose, back into it's matching red storage case. She seemed a little upset. Weiss spoke up softly.

"Did something go wrong, Ruby?"

Her head turned, silver eyes a little down-trodden.

"Yeah, but it's not a huge deal."

 _Is it the scar?_

"I made a mistake on mission. Got surprised, aimed for the head on instinct, being a sniper normally of course. The K&H assault rifles are supposed to be really accurate, too."

 _It's the scar._

"But you didn't die. And you got a cool scar from it."

Ruby looked back over, some of the light returning to her face.

"You think it's cool?"

Weiss grinned, clasping up the rifle case. She stood up and strode over to her friend, her face warm.

"I think it's sexy. Makes you look roguish and aggressive. I like that a lot."

She could feel the heat in her cheeks. Ruby's eyebrows perked up, a sly smile coming to her face. It was contagious. Weiss let the goofy smile come to her face, feeling a little embarrassed at having admitted that. She turned away, sure that the redness would be blinding for poor Ruby. Her eyes flicked back over to said girl, and she noticed that Ruby was smiling and biting her lip, her face a similar shade of crimson. She giggled a little, and Weiss could hear her mumble something under her breath.

"heh, you think I'm sexy..."

 _Damn right I do!_

She picked up her weapon case, putting the long strap back over her shoulder. Once her spotter had finished collapsing the mighty Crescent Rose and returning it to it's armoured case, Weiss held out her hand to help the blushing soldier up. They hiked back up the dirt pathway to the shooting range main building, hand in hand. Weiss's heart rate climbed as Ruby's gloved hand squeezed down on her own. It was adorable how the younger girl just melted around her.

"I stand by what I said before, Rubes. This is a very unorthodox firing range."

Ruby bumped herself against Weiss's side, her strong grasp becoming almost too strong.

"Well, it's not like we're in any danger. There's like three automated weapons outposts in the surrounding ravine. Live targets are more satisfying, anyway."

"Grimm don't have lives, Ru."

Weiss watched Ruby roll her eyes.

"You know what I mean. The Atlas military built this range to train snipers, specifically spec ops soldiers like myself. I actually taught a course here for two weeks on assignment. More Grimm were killed that fortnight than on any other mission, and we never had any danger-close incidents."

Weiss looked over at her, a curious expression crossing her face as they reached the main building.

"You were a teacher?"

Ruby shrugged.

"Eh. Briefly. I wouldn't consider it as a career, thought. Go inside, it's cold as knobs out here."

She pulled the door to the main building open. Walker's Range was a military funded shooting range situated on a cliff, an old army barracks that had been converted into a weapon shop and range. It had been very conveniently situated just off the highway on their route to the next fuel stop, and Ruby had recommended that they stop in for a bit to visit her old handler, Graenn Walker. The grizzled old veteran was sitting behind his counter as they entered, field stripping some Valean pistol, his forest-green dress shirt stained with various greases and metal polishes. He looked up at them through his glasses, smiling as he recognized his favourite patron.

"Welcome back, Agent Red. Good hunting?"

Ruby smiled at the old man. Weiss couldn't help but smile as well upon seeing the happy expression her friend had put on.

"Kinda sparse today. Weiss got a Beowolf though. Turns out that she's a good shot, even though she's a 'spineless corporate shark', as you'd say."

Both Weiss and Graenn laughed. The old man sighed and put down the half-finished handgun, standing up from behind his desk, circling around to the front. Weiss stepped back slightly as the huge behemoth of a man stepped toward them. He must have been nearly seven feet tall, his head almost touched the ceiling.

"I never said that, Red. She looks like a perfectly reasonably nice lady."

He leaned over Weiss, his previously happy expression becoming a scowl. He lowered his voice, strong and serious.

"I hear you like my sniper."

Weiss was taken aback, her voice faltered.

"Y-yes sir, I do."

"You promise to keep her safe?"

Weiss met his gaze, frightened but determined.

"I always strive to be my best self, sir. Ruby is important to me. You can trust me to protect her."

He paused for a moment and narrowed his eyes.

"Good to hear. But if you even think once about hurting her, I will personally find you and pull each of your limbs off, one by one." He said, poking her in the shoulders to indicate precisely where it would hurt most. Weiss shivered, but kept her resolve.

"I understand, sir. But I just want to point out that she's a soldier. I'm sure she's more capable of actually hurting anyone than I am with my noodle arms."

The old soldier's serious expression broke at the mere mention of her 'noodle arms', as deep hearty laughter bellowed out. She could hear Ruby giggle as well from her place over at one of the glass gun cabinets. Weiss gave a toothy and goofy smile. The old man stood up and clasped her on the shoulder, a brief twinge of pain shooting through her as the likely fifty-pound hand collided with her delicate form.

"I like you, Schnee. You're alright."

Ruby strolled over, and put her arms around Weiss's midsection.

"I like her too, Walker. Please try not to damage her. She has to drive next."

Weiss blushed as Ruby placed her lips on her cheek.

"Speaking of, we really need to get going if we want to get to Frühlingdorf before one thirty. Besides, you promised to buy me lunch, remember?"

Weiss let out a deep sigh, still smiling.

"Yes, I remember, you cuddly dolt."

She handed the weapon case she was still holding back to the giant weapons dealer, who took it from her gracefully, as if the forty-pound rifle weighed only as much as a pistol. She took Ruby's hand after the giddy brunette had received her goodbye-hug, and they walked back out to the sparkling burgundy truck, climbing in and settling down for the final half hour drive to town. Before Ruby had a chance to do up her seatbelt, Weiss reached over in a sudden instance of forward affection, and placed her hands on Ruby's rather ample chest. Ruby stopped mid-movement.

 _Ha! Got her!_

Ruby paused. She looked down at the hands on her chest, blinked a few times, then looked over at Weiss.

"What are you doing?"

Weiss giggled in her seat.

"Aiming for centre mass."

Chapter 39

The road to Frühlingdorf was perfectly plowed, with no snow at all. The temperature was warming up as well. Ruby rolled her window down and stuck her arm out. She reached up to her sun visor and grabbed her shades, tossing them on and shaking the loose bangs out of her face. She glanced over at her passenger, who was similarly wearing sunglasses. Only she was smirking back at her.

"You look like Yang trying to be cool, you know."

Ruby scoffed, mildly offended.

"I'll have you know that I'm exceedingly cool. Yang's lame motorcycle and shades pale in comparison to me."

Weiss whipped her hair around, which Ruby found quite humorous. The long white off-centre pony tail flipped around and smacked Weiss's face, causing Ruby to snicker.

"Motorcycles aren't lame, Ruby Rose."

Ruby turned and the sunlight glinted off her shades. She watched as Weiss flinched from the glare.

"Yes, they are."

Weiss crossed her arms.

"No, they aren't."

"Yes, they are!"

Weiss bashed her fists against the seat and harrumphed.

"They are so incredibly cool! You don't even know! I look fucking _sexy_ on mine!"

Ruby paused mid-laugh. She turned to the white-haired and frowning person in the passenger seat.

"You ride motorcycles?"

Her passenger turned red in the seat and crossed her arms, turning away slightly. Ruby reached across the bench and touched Weiss's shoulder. The angry girl shrugged the hand off, and Ruby felt a tiny twinge of regret at her words.

"Yeah, but you said you don't like it."

Ruby shrunk in her seat. It hadn't been her intention to upset her friend, she was just trying to poke fun at her own sister was all. Something she had said had angered Weiss. Not like that was a big surprise, that is.

"Weiss, I was only joking. I'm sorry if I've upset you. I didn't mean it."

Ruby turned away, ashamed. She sniffed. Weiss was scary when she was angry. She tried not to cry.

"I'm sorry."

There was a shuffling of clothes from the seat next to her.

"Ruby..."

 _No! You're angry! I'm sorry!_

"Ruby!"

Ruby looked over, her eyes down-trodden.

 _Bra._

She furrowed her brow and looked forward again. That couldn't be right. Did she just see... undergarments? Ruby took a second look.

 _I was right. That's a bra._

Her gaze returned forward. She had just seen Weiss's bra, exposed. It clicked in her head.

 _WAIT, WEISS HAS HER TITS OUT._

Her neck nearly snapped under the force of looking back over at the white-haired vixen in the passenger seat.

"Weiss! What the hell!"

The aforementioned girl giggled to herself as she pulled the black turtleneck back down over the smooth white skin and lacy blue bra. Ruby watched each motion intently, forgetting entirely that she was driving. Weiss straightened up in her seat and gave a smug look.

"Well, you seemed sad, and I needed to make you happy, ergo, my boobs. And I'm not really upset with you, Ruby, I know you were joking."

Ruby blinked a few times, her mouth agape.

"Motor...cycles..."

Weiss straightened her back and pushed her chest out. Despite her girlfriend being less well-endowed, Ruby couldn't help but ogle the soft round mounds protruding from the confident woman. Her brain was a mess of confusing sights and sounds, all culminating from the bosom of the white-haired ice-princess.

"Yes, pervert, I do ride, and likely a whole lot better than your sister, who seems intent on just going fast and being a nuisance."

"...boobs..."

"I have to say, though, she has reasonable taste in bikes. It's because of her suggestion that I bought that old Hunter NiteEagle seven-fifty. Brilliant bike, really. Plenty of go for an old Vacuan machine made thirty-four years ago."

"...sexy..."

"Now, I know I criticized you the other day for buying a car made in Vacuo, but truth be told the best stuff is made there. My bike has never broken down once since I bought it. Okay, well, there was that once time the battery died because I left the ignition on overnight, but that doesn't count, right?"

A small amount of drool had escaped Ruby's mouth. She still couldn't get the image of Weiss laying on her motorcycle, clad only in her lacy blue lingerie out of her head. Her lower region stirred at the thought, and her hand subconsciously dropped to her lap.

"Ruby! Not while you're driving!"

 _But it's hot as fuck._

Weiss's snapping fingers brought her back to reality. Her eyes came back up and turned back to the road, just in time to see that she had drifted over into the oncoming lane. She wrenched the wheel back right and the old truck heaved unwillingly back onto the correct side of the road, all the while Weiss was laughing at her. The laughing stopped suddenly.

"Ruby, how fast are we going?"

She checked the speedometer.

 _Oh, shit._

She lifted her foot off the accelerator, the big truck lurching forward on its springs, shaking a little from the previous onslaught of speed. Ruby sheepishly tried to hide her embarrassment.

"Well, we aren't going a hundred and forty-five anymore. How's that?"

Weiss audibly shook her head as Ruby giggled a little.

"I swear, Ruby, you are going to be the death of me."

Ruby shrugged.

"Yeah, but you love me."

"Yes. Yes I do."

Ruby sniffed and wiped her nose on her sleeve. Odd, she thought, furrowing her brow and looking down at the stain on her sleeve. Her nose began to tingle, and a burning sensation welled up in her chest. This was abnormal. Was it allergies? It couldn't be! They were seasonal, and it was winter! Ruby looked around at the surrounding landscape. There was not an inch of snow to be seen.

"Hey, Rubes, do you mind if I turn the heat down? It's stifling in here."

She nodded her answer, trying not to let the impending explosion burst forth, her index finger pressed against her philtrum. She glanced over at the window crank, a pained look on her face. If she moved her finger from blocking her nose, she'd sneeze. If she didn't roll the window back up, she'd sneeze. It was a lose-lose situation.

 _Aw shit, and it was just cleaned in here._

She turned her face out the window. And exploded.

Chapter 40

By the time Weiss had ceased laughing and her driver had rolled her window back up, they had pulled into the small villa of Frühlingdorf, where the sun shone brightly down upon them. Weiss had pulled her oversized and exceedingly fashionable sunglasses from her purse and tossed them on, as the glare from the truck's paintwork was almost unbearable. Her driver sniffled again and spoke up.

"Why's the weather so weird here? Like, it's all warm and pollen-y."

Weiss smiled and looked over at the pouting brunette. Damn, she was pretty, even when flustered.

"Well, Ruby, let me tell you a little story about a man named..."

"Weiss, I'm certain there's some real interesting legend about this place. I just want to know why the weather is weird."

Weiss paused, mildly insulted. There indeed was a legend of this town, one where a man by the name of Jahreszeit came to the land and settled down with a girl named Wärme, and they lived happily ever after and such, as they do. Weiss frowned, annoyed that she didn't get to tell her story.

"Hmph. Fine. It's because this town was built on a fault line, and the heat of the planet's mantle in this location keeps the ground and air warm, so it's in a constant state of springtime, hence the name Frühlingdorf, which directly translates to 'spring village'. Happy, you sneezy dolt?"

Her driver softened the pout.

 _Wow, those lips are making me have bad thoughts. Down, Weiss._

"I suppose that's acceptable. So where are you taking me for lunch?"

Weiss pulled out her scroll and indicated for Ruby to hold on. A quick peruse of an online review site and she had her answer. It was only a short drive away, and they had arrived in no time, found a parking spot that fit Ruby's obnoxiously large truck, and were standing outside. They both frowned.

"Huh."

"Yeah, I don't get it either."

"I mean..."

"No, you're right Ru, that's just obscene"

"Put my meat in your mouth Burgers and Shakes?"

Weiss shrugged and they walked cautiously inside."

"Well, it has the best reviews for burger joints in this town, and I know how much you like burger, so..."

A bell dinged above the door frame as Weiss pushed it open. The warm aroma of cooking beef and peanuts permeated her nose, causing her to shiver with delight. It would be a fair sight messier than anything Klein could cook up back a the manor, but she was certain that it would be good nonetheless. You didn't win a Blue Ribbon if your food sucked, after all. A sign just inside the doorway indicated that they were allowed to seat themselves, so Weiss took Ruby's hand gently and led her over to the small diner's bar. The polished counter top shined within an inch of it's life, the chromed steel coffee machines and milk-shakers glinting sunlight at them. They almost needed sunglasses inside, everything was so clean. Not thirty seconds after she and Ruby had deposited themselves up onto bar stools, a cheerful-looking bear-faunus boy materialized behind the counter, a ridiculous smile adorning his face.

"Goooood afternoon, ladies, and welcome to Put my meat in your mouth! What can I get you today?"

Weiss smirked at him, giving him as sultry a glare as she could muster despite the startling appearance.

"Well, I think I'd like to start with your meat..." she flirted, turning to watch Ruby squirm. Her pout was intoxicating.

"...And a big, tall, thick, dripping glass of your finest white..."

She looked into the young man's eyes, dropping her voice to a whisper.

"... _milkshake_."

They young faunus's shoulders shook almost imperceptibly, his eyes dilating mildly. A glance over at her companion returned a similar expression. Weiss let out a small chuckle and crossed her arms across her chest. Never before had she been this successful in seducing two people of opposite genders at the same time.

 _Talk about skill. Good Weiss._

The young faunus shook his head and returned his cheery smile, taking their orders properly with an appropriate amount of sexual tension in the room, all the while Weiss snickered to herself. He returned swiftly with their food, both being cheeseburger meals. The young faunus leaned over from his side of the counter.

"So. Do you ladies want to know why this town is called Frühlingdorf?"

"NO."

The immediacy of Ruby's response caused Weiss to choke on a fry. A quick sip of the frozen milkshake quelled the burning in her throat, and her slight smile caused a dribble of the frozen drink to drip down her chin and onto her jacket. She looked down at it with dismay, letting her shoulders fall a little. She could hear Ruby stifle a laugh, her face rising to meet the cheery girl.

"Don't laugh, it happens to you too, I would assume."

Ruby gave an evil smile.

"Nope. How expensive was that jacket?"

 _Eight grand._

"Ah, like a hundred lien. I got it on sale on a business trip to Vacuo. It's alright, you know?" She waved her hand dismissively at the new stain. "It keeps the wind and weather out."

Ruby shrugged, turning back to her food, and for once Weiss was glad that she didn't press further on the price. A sudden wave of realization washed over her as she did a mental calculation of how expensive all of her clothing that she had brought was worth. Something to the effect of seven hundred thousand lien. That would be more than double the value of her friend's humble little bungalow way out in the suburbs. She shivered in her seat, causing Ruby to look back over.

"A hundred lien and you're still cold? Sounds like a shitty coat, Weiss-Cream."

Weiss put her elbows up on the bar and placed her face in her hands. Did Ruby have to make fun of her all the time? Well, probably, but at the moment it was inconvenient. Weiss was mentally stomping herself for bringing such expensive clothing, she felt almost gross for this immense display of wealth. She lifted her head and turned back to her friend.

"How much money in clothing do you think I own, Ruby?"

The girl leaned back on her stool and took a bite of fry, looking as if she was pondering dramatically.

"Well, I've been in your closet, which itself is the size of my living room, and I've gone shopping with you many times, so I'd have to guess somewhere in the region of two million? And you've brought something like half a million?"

Weiss cocked and eyebrow. Not so far off, she thought to herself. At least Ruby didn't seem offended by the idea of hugely expensive taste in clothing.

"That's about right, yeah." She paused a moment "Do you think I need such expensive clothes? Like, do they make me look that much better?"

She watched Ruby's face go serious, deep in thought. Her hand moved from the plate of fries to her hip, turning on her stool to have a better look.

"I think that you see the price tag as what is the 'good looking' part of most of your outfits."

Ruby's tone became suddenly defensive.

"Not that I'm saying you never look good, because you always are the best dressed and most attractive person in any room, example, even today in a meagre wind-breaker and black pants I'd say you rock that look." she turned to the young faunus behind the bar "Wouldn't you agree?"

The man nodded, smiling brightly as he cleaned a mug.

"And furthermore, It's your intensely positive attitude that makes all of your outfits really shine. You'd make sweatpants and hoodies look professional. Maybe even sexy."

Weiss snorted out a laugh.

"I don't believe that for a second. I would never wear sweatpants! How uncouth!"

Ruby smiled at her, and whatever fake sense of offence that she had felt at the mere idea of sweatpants washed away, replaced by a warm feeling in her core. Ruby's smile was devastatingly contagious.

"Besides, all of my clothes are tailor made, even my gym-wear. Gregori Armano fits me personally when I need a new outfit."

Ruby's expression became accusatory.

"You just said you bought that coat for a hundred lien. Something's not adding up here, Weiss. Also, your underwear is also custom?"

Weiss slumped forward.

"Okay, so maybe this coat is worth eight grand, and is also tailored just for me. And yes, custom-fit braziers are much more comfortable than store-bought ones. Much more supportive, as well."

She watched as Ruby leaned forward, placing one hand on the bar, and one hand on her own chest, her expression changing again to one of wonder.

"Do you, maybe, think I could get one fit for me? None of mine are comfortable anymore! Please, Weiss? Pleeease? I'll love you forever!"

Weiss laughed out loud, not at Ruby directly, of course. It was cute that Ruby thought she even had to ask. She leaned against the bar and smiled.

"Of course, Ruby, anything. In my experience, comfortable undergarments are paramount in feeling confident and having a good day. What size are you, by the way?"

Ruby paused and looked down at her own boobs.

"Thirty-four D, I think, the labels have come off all of my bras. Maybe a bit bigger, this one doesn't quite fit right anymore. Wait, why does that matter?"

Weiss looked up from her scroll, pausing in the middle of her text.

"Just letting Gregori know how much material to purchase in advance. He likes to make patterns before measuring so he has an idea of what will work on different skin tones. Like, I have twelve of the same blouse in different shades of white, each one works based on what colour my skin is in the morning."

Ruby gave an inquisitive look.

"Your skin changes colour?"

Weiss rolled her eyes, then realizing that she might seem insulting, quickly smiled again.

"No, not like that. Skin colour changes based on body temperature, mood, and other ambient things that you can't really control. More to the point, Gregori likes to plan patterns ahead so that depending on your skin tone that day he can make anything work. He's a genius with fabric, after all."

Just in her peripheral, she saw Ruby shrug and take a large bite of burger. The moment she turned to look, a large splotch of mustard fell from the back of the bun and landed right down the black coat she was wearing. Weiss's eyes went wide and a wicked grin came across her face almost unconsciously. Ruby looked down at the stain on her coat, and all of the voice in her throat vanished. Weiss tried as hard as she could to not break out in uproarious laughter at her friend's ironic turn of events. The usually-bright silver eyes turned back upwards, this time full of sadness and mock tears. Ruby's bottom lip shot out and quivered, her shoulders falling downward.

"Why me? Why have I been forsaken like this?"

Weiss let the laugh she was holding out, much to Ruby's dismay.

"S'what you get, Rose-Petal."


	14. Chapter 14: Snowbird

Chapter 41

"So take me through a day in the life of Ruby Rose."

Ruby turned her attention from a group of cows out the window back over to her white-haired driver, who was turned slightly in her seat to look over at her. She straightened her back, pushing her chest out slightly to stretch her back.

"Well..." She yawned "...it usually starts with me waking up at about eight or eight thirty, depending whether or not it's Thursday, of course. Then I'll go to the kitchen and turn on my coffee maker, which I had prepped the night before."

Ruby looked over at Weiss, who nodded back.

"Following that, I'll go get undressed, and have a shower. Usually I'll put on an episode of a TV show or something on my scroll and bring it in the shower with me."

She paused to rub her nose. The pollen-rich air from the previous town was still getting to her a little, and this gave her friend time to accuse her of being lewd.

"You mean you watch porn in the shower, right?"

Ruby whipped around.

"Weiss! No! Don't be ridiculous!"

Her face went red, which caused Weiss to laugh at her _again._

"As I was _saying,_ then I watch _television_ in the shower, and clean my hair. Watching porn in the shower, geez, what kind of heathen do you take me for? Your brother?"

She saw Weiss shudder violently at that idea.

"No. No no no no no. _NO._ I do not _ever_ want to think about that, thank you."

Ruby snickered.

"You brought this on yourself. Anyway, after shower comes breakfast, which consists of coffee and a bowl of Pumpkin Pete's or Schnee-Bites, depending on what I have in the cupboard that day."

Weiss interrupted "You actually buy Schnee-Bites? They're terrible!"

"They're alright. They have good amounts of vitamins and stuff in them. Squad Commander insists we eat healthy breakfasts, even when we're not on duty. Besides, they have your face on the box. I like seeing that in the morning"

Weiss blushed, much to Ruby's amusement.

"Yeah, sure, but Pumpkin Pete's has _Pyrrha's_ face on it! Come on, you _must_ like that! She's super hot!"

Ruby looked down at her hands and tried to hide her embarrassment, her face turning a vibrant shade of pink. Yes, the red-headed warrior woman who adorned every box, who was also _their best friend,_ was spectacularly attractive, but Ruby felt like she needed to explain to Weiss that she was, in fact, superior in every way.

"Yeah, sure, but..."

Ruby paused, a little shaky.

"...You're hotter."

Weiss squeaked. Ruby couldn't believe she had just said that. There was silence for a minute. She couldn't breathe.

 _Did I say something wrong?_

"Well...I'm pleased you think so. I think you are also the most attractive of our friends, Ruby."

Ruby frowned. _That was an oddly professional way of putting it._ She looked over to find her driver refusing to look over to her side of the bench. Her ears, where they were visible just around the ponytail, were vibrant red. She seemed to be shaking a little. Perhaps she was red in the face, Ruby thought. If only she knew how to get Weiss to turn around by her own accord...

"Hey Weiss, my boobs are out."

Weiss turned. Exactly as expected, her face was a vibrant shade of red. Ruby let out a loud snort. Her boobs weren't out, of course, as such an action would require unbuttoning and untucking her shirt, and that would have been too much effort for a small visual comedy gag. But _oh it would have been worth it._ Ruby giggled at her friend.

"Why do you do this to me? Why are you so cruel, Ruby?"

Ruby laughed.

"I'm not cruel! You did it to me, too!"

Weiss's eyes flicked over, angry but clearly aroused. Ruby was proud of herself for being able to get under her skin like this. It was self-assuring, in a way. She could feel her own cheeks begin to glow. Perhaps she could find solace in this girl?

"So. Are you gonna keep telling me about your day? Or are we going to sit here in awkward silence?"

Ruby blinked a few times, her fantasy briefly shattered.

"Yeah, of course. Where was I again?"

"Breakfast with Pyrrha."

"Right, right. So after eating breakfast, I'll go into the office at the back of my house, turn on my computer, and drink my coffee while it boots up. Then I'll read the Altas Chronicle online, check my emails, _respond_ to my emails, play my pirated versions of _Galaga_ or _Sinistar_ while I wait for my boss to call me with details of the day. Want a snack?"

After an affirmative nod from her driver, she reached back behind the seat and procured a bag of chips, tearing it open and placing it on the seat between them. Weiss grabbed a few and munched them quietly. She spoke through a mouth full of ketchup-flavoured chips.

"I thought _you_ were the boss."

Ruby shook her head, grabbing some chips for herself.

"No, I'm the sound producer and one of the show hosts. Mister Bulsara's the boss. He runs the show, I just host it and make sure it sounds good. He calls me in the morning to give me a run down of timing for the day's show, so I can prep scripts and a day plan for the station, which is how I spend my morning until about eleven."

"Do you spend the morning in your pyjamas? Because that's what I'd do if _I_ lived alone."

"Nah, I get dressed right out of the shower. You know my style, loose jeans, band shirt. I don't _have_ to wear a suit. Unless we're doing a studio tour, then I do. But no, at about eleven I print off my scripts and day plans and put them in a folder in my briefcase."

Weiss stopped mid-chip.

"You have a briefcase?"

"Of course! How else would I transport papers without them getting crinkled? Anyway, then I drive to work. Well, actually I sit in traffic and listen to music on my Scroll because just-before-noon traffic is the actual worst, Weiss."

She grabbed her water bottle from under the seat and took a sip, washing the rest of the chips down.

"So then I get to the studio, about quarter to noon at this point, park the truck, and go to my office. Which by the way, is actually a sound studio. Then I have to do sound management for the noon-o'clock news and Alphi's afternoon show, _The Grunge Bin."_

Weiss pulled the truck into the left lane to overtake a slower car. The truck's huge engine breathed deep, roaring quietly up in front of them.

"Then. _Then_ it's time for my show, where I have to go to my sound booth with _my_ script. That's at three-thirty, if you remember. Then I do my show for two hours, which I think it's super adorable that you listen to. Sometimes I bring guests on to talk about music history. You know once I had Gord Downie?"

"I remember that one! I have that one downloaded on my laptop! Wait, is that illegal?"

"No, not particularly. Radio's a public resource. I guess if you aren't selling it, then it's fine? Do you go back and listen to it?"

Weiss seemed uncomfortable. She shifted in her seat. Ruby's eyes perked up.

"What, do you diddle yourself to it?"

She turned away, still blushing.

"I don't want to talk to you anymore."

 _OH REALLY_

 _YOU GOSH DARN PERVERT_

"So I'm going to continue my day, we'll talk about _that_ later. So at about seven in the evening, I hand the mic over to my co-host, and I get to go home! Then it's fuckin' dinner time! So I have to cook food for myself, often spaghetti. Because I like it, not because I'm a terrible cook and spaghetti is the only thing I can't screw up, obviously."

"I'm sure you're a good cook, Ruby. I just think you don't try enough different things."

"Oh trust me, I'm not. Anyway, after crappy spaghetti, I go into the spare bedroom and rifle through my record collection and spend the evening listening to them, picking out songs for the next day's show. Basically I just listen to music until I'm tired and go to bed. That's really about it, honestly."

Weiss seemed to be contemplating all of this. Ruby munched on a chip, and much of the crumbs falling into her lap.

"So what's a day in the life of Weiss look like?"

Chapter 42

"Oh my god, it's so boring. You really don't want to hear about it."

Her passenger fidgeted.

"Of course I do! C'mon!"

"Nope. Not doing it."

"Pleeeease?"

"Nuh uh."

"I'll kiss you like we did this morning!"

"So the first thing I do when I wake up is do my morning warm-up. Y'know, sit-ups, push-ups, lunges. I need to remain fit, after all. Then I'll throw on my robe over my jammies and go downstairs. This is at about four-thirty, well before either of my parents or brother is awake. Klein makes me coffee and waffles, then _insists_ I eat some fruit as well."

"It's good for you, Weiss-Cream. Do you forget that he acts in your best interests?"

Weiss shrugged. It's true that fruit was a good part of a balanced diet. Perhaps since Ruby told her to she might listen.

"Probably. Then once I've fed myself, I have a shower, and _no_ I do not watch porn in the shower. Unlike you."

"I do _not!"_

"Yeees you do. Anyway, then I have to get dressed, usually a nice business skirt and blouse. You know, the usual corporate garbage. Then I get to drive to work before anyone else is on the road, the best part being there's no one in my way on the motorway. And you know what that means, right?"

She looked over at Ruby over the top of her glasses. Her passenger sniffled.

"You get to drive fast?"

"I get to _top out_ for the twenty-minute drive to work. Who else gets to go three-hundred kilometres per hour on their _way_ to work? Me, that's who. Anyway, I'll usually arrive at about seven, which is actually two hours earlier than any of the other employees. This gives me time to prep my day."

Weiss yawned. Talking about the beginning of her day made her tired. She grabbed some more chips.

 _These are so bad yet so good!_

"Best part of my day starts the. I go up to my office and answer my emails for almost two hours. Like I said, my day is super boring."

She could hear her passenger swoon a little.

"I think you're interesting..."

 _Aww. She likes me!_

"At about ten to nine I take a short break, since the instant it strikes nine I _know_ my phone will start ringing. So then it does, and I have to spend like three hours talking to business partners, department heads, potential investors, my _mother,_ so you know, stressful. So I have a coffeemaker on my desk. People I have had meetings with give me weird looks very often."

These chips were getting addicting. Who knew that ketchup-flavour would actually be good. Weiss usually was one for salt and vinegar. This seemed pretty good.

"Speaking of meetings, at about twelve i have to go to a board meeting where we _always_ talk about imports and import taxes. You have _no_ idea how boring that gets seven days a week, for like three hours a day."

"I notice that you've reached three in the afternoon. Did you plan your entire schedule around listening to my show?"

Weiss laughed.

"Darn, you saw through my ruse! No, actually it happened that way _before_ you had your show. At three I go back to my office to make one last phone call before lunch, when I get to grab my pre-made sandwiches and go to the break room in time for _Ruby Radio_ with my favourite brunette. That's you, by the way."

 _Calm down, me. Getting a little heated up here._

"I get an hour for lunch, like all of my employees do, in our super luxurious lunch room, which is like the best room in the whole building, by the way. So once that's done, I go back to my office and sit in my chair, because at that point I've been awake for twelve hours."

Just talking about her day was making her tired.

"Then it's more short meetings, writing a few documents, signing everything that ends up in my inbox, and drinking like three more cups of coffee. Day end comes at about eight, two hours after everyone else leaves. So I drive home, go up to my room, _immediately_ get fully naked and lie on my bed."

Ruby whipped her head around, her face red. Weiss giggled at her.

"Fully naked?"

"Oh yes, dear Ruby. Fully naked. So if I'm still conscious at that point I'll boot up my X-Station and dick about on some game, usually _Foreordination._ I'm really good at that game, by the way, one-v-one me in the Crucible, you peasant. But mostly I'll just fall asleep by like nine thirty or ten. That's it. That's my day. Can we do the thing you promised now?"

 _Yes, give me sexy Power-Ruby kissing._

"Maybe. If you let me shower with you again."

 _You're not allowed to shower alone anymore._

"Don't be crass, Ruby. But if you insist, of course. Can you check the map again for me? We shouldn't be too far from Winter's house at this hour."

Her passenger fiddled with the map. They probably needed a new one, as this one was faded and wrinkled. Next chance she got, Weiss assured herself she was going to buy a new one. Something crisp.

"Maybe an hour or so? Do we need gas, or something?"

 _Or something. Like sex._

"No, we're good. I just wanted to-"

Weiss was interrupted by her ass buzzing. She frowned, shifted in her seat, and grabbed her scroll out of her back pocket. It was ringing. She handed it to Ruby.

"Mind getting that for me?"

The scroll was taken from her hand.

"Yeah, no problem. Hey, it's your sister! Speak of the devil, eh? I'll put it on speaker."

Ruby fiddled with the screen on the scroll, and it lit up signifying that the call had connected.

"Hey, Winter, It's Ruby!"

There was a slight pause. Weiss looked over at her friend out of the corner of her eye.

" _Hello, little Ruby, is my sister available at the moment?"_

Ruby laughed at being called 'little'. Weiss smiled at hearing her sister's voice.

"Yeah, she's a little busy at the moment. She's tongue-deep in my pussy right now."

Weiss's face went scarlet. She whipped her hand over and snatched the scroll from Ruby, an angry expression crossing her visage.

" _Ruby!_ What the _hell!_ Winter, I'm _so_ sorry!"

Winter laughed on the other end of the line.

" _Worry not, dear Weiss. I can see by my GPS tracker that you are currently moving along the Number Seven highway, which would make romantic relations difficult. But alas, I do not wish to imagine my little sister in such a situation. Whitley called me earlier and told me that you revealed yourselves to him on video chat?"_

Weiss laughed nervously.

"Yeah, that. I thought I pressed speaker. Turns out I missed."

" _No matter, I found his blubbering quite humorous. I can see from my GPS that you are approximately one hour from my residence. I will be putting the roast in the oven now. However I will be requiring your assistance."_

Ruby looked over, still giggling.

"Roast?"

Weiss turned, moving her mouth from the scroll's mic.

"We're having roast beef. Hope you don't mind. Yeah, Winter, what do you need?"

" _In my haste to prepare my house for your arrival, I neglected to purchase wine, so I humbly request your assistance. I will leave the selection up to you."_

"Yeah, Win, that's perfectly alright with me."

" _Provided you don't purchase any Atlesian wine. You will be barred from my home."_

Weiss laughed.

"Absolutely not, Winter. You forget that I have business meetings with dignitaries and socialites on the daily? I think I know a good wine from a bad one. You have nothing to fear."

" _Except for the mental image of you and Ruby in a romantic encounter."_

"Just keep thinking about it. I'll see you soon, Winter."

" _Indeed. Good-bye."_

The call ended. Weiss dropped her scroll onto the bench seat and snickered. As much as she loved her sister, it was comical to make her squirm from time to time. She sighed and looked over at Ruby, who was wearing an inquisitive expression.

"You don't tell your sister you love her?"

Weiss shrugged.

"Not usually. It's implied that we do. Like, obviously I do, we just agreed long ago that it was an unnecessary step in conversation. When she's not being overly professional, she gives very loving hugs. So I know how she really feels. Oh! Speaking of professional, we're gonna get dressed up for supper. No buts."

She could hear Ruby fidgeting in her seat. Her bag contained nothing suitable for the dinner situation, so Weiss had already prepared a potential outfit in her head for her using some of the nicer clothes in her own bag. She'd be the most presentable and adorable soldier in the world. Weiss could feel her cheeks begin to glow.

 _So I'm a pervert for Ruby in a skirt. I'm allowed. Right?_

"But I don't wanna... What's wrong with what I'm wearing now?"

"Well for starters, a simple blouse is nice, yes, but without any flourish you look like a salary-maker. And you're wearing _jeans,_ I will not be having you wear jeans to supper with a high-ranking Atlas military official."

" _I'm_ a high-ranking military official, too, Weiss."

Weiss turned in her seat, frowning.

"She's your superior, Ruby. Besides, I already have an outfit prepared for you. Now, it won't have as much cleavage as when you borrowed my dress, _unfortunately for me_ , but it will still be flattering to you rather fantastic frame. I promise you will look good."

"Weiss, my boobs are too big for any of your shirts."

 _And it's great!_

"I understand that. I will be putting some of your own clothes to good use to ensure you look respectable. I promise."

Chapter 43

Ruby didn't feel respectable as they stood on the front steps of Winter's house. Weiss had chosen for her to wear a pleated baby-blue mini-skirt held up by a thick leather belt, the long white knee-socks from the other day, her own white blouse from the morning, and a black argyle sweater-vest over it. Ruby admitted that it was kinda cute, sure, but it didn't feel dignified. Weiss's own outfit was a little more refined, the matching skirt and blazer suited her much better. Ruby thought perhaps it was because of her much wider hips made her seems a little...

"Ruby, I don't know why you're worried. It's not like you're having dinner with my parents. It's just Winter, and she's already approved of you. C'mon, loosen up."

I look like a doll, though.

Weiss rung the doorbell. Ruby shivered in the cold air, her hands gripped tighter around the nine-hundred lien bottle of fine Mistralian wine. Why? Why did adults spend so much money just to get hammered? Ruby didn't know if she wanted to bring out drunk Ruby today, however, seeing as she was up next to drive. The sound of the lock on the other side of the door clicked. The door opened. Ruby suddenly remembered why she liked seeing Winter around Weiss's house.

I forgot how hot she is.

There stood what could be described as a six-foot-one version of Weiss, her perfect silver-white hair pulled up into it's usual bun, her sparkling blue eyes distracting her. The beautifully toned soldier's shoulders that were usually hidden under a suit or uniform were out on display today, her imposingly astonishing figure clad in an uncharacteristically flowery strapless summer dress. Ruby's heart skipped.

So this is what Weiss will look like at thirty-two? Suddenly I'm comfortable again.

The amazing woman smiled at them, inviting them inside.

"Hello, Weiss, Ruby. You two look positively dashing. May I take your coat?"

Ruby nodded and let the tall woman take her coat and place it into the walk-in closet in the foyer. Everything about this house was imposing. The huge marble arch they had just been standing under, the huge double doors, and now the overwhelming entryway. It had a polished tile floor which reflected the enormous chandelier which hung twenty feet above. She wondered what the rest of the house looked like. The warm aroma of Mistralian seasoning wafted from a far-off kitchen.

"Do come inside, my friends, make yourselves at home. Well, more at home then you already are, of course."

They followed Winter deeper into the huge mansion, through to an enormous living room which sat adjoining an equally large kitchen. Ruby handed the expensive bottle of red liquid off to the older women, before plopping herself as daintily as she could on one of the huge couches. She watched Weiss follow her sister into the kitchen the two women having a quiet conversation just out of earshot. She saw Weiss blush. Whatever Winter had said clearly had not been appropriate, judging by how the two women were giggling. Weiss called out to her.

"Hey, Ruby, can I interest you in a glass of wine?"

Ruby briefly considered it.

"Actually do you have anything non-alcoholic? I have to drive after, remember?"

"Right, sorry. Yeah, just give me a second."

More than a second later, Weiss appeared next to her on the couch, two wine glasses in hand, one filled with the red wine, and the other a sparkling yellow drink which smelled of ginger. She took a sip and was pleasantly surprised by the calm apple and ginger flavour. Winter strolled over to them, tying an apron around her midriff.

"So, supper will be ready in a few minutes, if you'd kindly have a seat at the table. And Weiss, don't drink red wine on my white couch again. You know what happens."

Ruby looked over at Weiss, who paused mid-sip, her eyes wide. She swallowed her drink quickly, a sheepish grin coming to her face.

"Sorry, I'll be good, sister. And I'm sorry in advance for whatever Drunk Weiss does."

Winter sighed at her sister, making Ruby's mouth curl up into a smile.

"You're going to be the death of me, I swear. Go to the table, child."

Weiss stood and stamped her foot.

"I'm not a child!"

"You could have fooled me."

Ruby checked her friend's glass. It was almost empty, and by Weiss's current level of balance, she was mildly inebriated. She knew Weiss was a lightweight, but this was ridiculous. She guided Weiss over to the dinner table and sat her down. Weiss whipped her hair around, smacking Ruby in the face. She sighed.

"My friends, dinner is served!"

Ruby looked down at the plate the tall woman placed in front of her. It was overflowing with steamed vegetables, gravy, and in the centre of it all was a large piece of beef, steaming and pink. It smelled fantastic. Winter placed a plate in front of the mildly-swaying Weiss, and one down at her own spot as well, before removing her apron and sitting down.

"Please begin, you didn't have to wait for me to sit down, you know. I'm glad you two wanted to join me for dinner tonight. I don't often get visits from my favourite sibling, so this is a nice change."

Ruby looked over to Weiss, who had a shit-eating grin on her face. As well as a second empty glass of wine.

"Hear that, Whitley? She loves me more than you, you dope."

"Dear Weiss, I recommend you slow down a little on the alcohol. You do tend to get tipsy very quickly."

"Maybe I should...slow down."

Weiss put down her glass, her hand wobbling a little. Did it really only take two glasses to get Weiss over the line? Ruby casually grabbed the bottle from the table and examined it. Twenty percent per volume. Holy cow. Ruby put the bottle back down. That was considerably stronger than the ten percent stuff from the other day. Ruby shrugged and took a bit of her food. It was very tender, for sure. Ruby had never had something homemade that was this good before. She savoured the flavour as it washed through her. She liked it. A glance over to Weiss shattered her tiny fantasy. Her chin was covered in gravy.

"Weiss, your chin... you know what, forget it. It's not important."

Weiss stopped eating, her drunk eyes suddenly worried.

"Iz ther' somethin' wrong?"

Even Winter chuckled. Never really before had Ruby seen the woman smile, let alone laugh, and it honestly made her a little nervous. The last time she had been around Winter was during a meeting with The General himself. She hadn't smiled then. This was weird, but somehow comforting.

"Worry not, sister, there is merely a small smudge on your face. Anyway, tell me, Ruby, I've always wondered, why did you choose to join the Atlas military instead of the Sanus army. Wouldn't staying in Vale allow you to be closer to your family?"

Ruby swallowed her mouthful, nodding.

"It would have joined, but they told me I couldn't. You remember the Fall of Beacon?"

Winter nodded solemnly.

"Well, that was at the end of fourth year for us, but technically since we didn't finish our schooling, they denied my application. Even though it was Weiss and myself who personally lead the charge against the terrorists. So I may have gone into a bit of a funk after that."

"I can understand that. Did you spend a week in your pyjamas listening to grunge music?"

Ruby looked over at the older woman.

"How did you know exactly?"

"I was once denied entry to the army. I understand the feeling, Red."

"So anyway, geez Weiss is drunk, after a week of moping I got a call at about five in the evening one day from General Ironwood himself, who insisted I visit him in Atlas. So he paid for a first-class flight to Schlachtstadt, where I got driven to his office for a personal meeting with him. He offered me a job the instant I walked through the door."

There was a moment of silence as the three of them continued eating. Ruby noticed that she was nearly done.

"Yeah, he said he was assembling a crack team to deal with the overwhelming Grimm problem in North Atlas, and he wanted the most capable soldiers. I was flattered that he chose me specifically."

"Well, you must be exceptionally good to warrant the General's attention, then, little Ruby."

"I killed four-hundred Grimm in one night."

Winter's fork fell from her fingers, her mouth frozen. Ruby blinked a few times, distracted. The night of the invasion saw an incomprehensible number of Grimm released into the City of Vale by the terrorists, and Ruby had personally been responsible for bringing their numbers down to a reasonable level. She was driven by an innate anger, caused by a monster bigger than any Grimm. It was him, again. General Ironwood liked her unbridled passion.

The one time he did something right.

"I seem to have finished before the two of you. I will remain at the table in order to keep you company."

"Hey, don't worry about it. I've about finished as well. It was fantastic, by the way."

Winter smiled and collected the plates, before returning to the kitchen. Ruby stood slowly and guided her drunk friend back over to the living room, depositing her on a couch. Ruby sat herself down on an armchair next to a small mahogany side table. She watched Winter mull about in the kitchen, making coffee and prepping a dish of brownies. This woman was going to be a perfect mother at some point, if a little strict, she figured. She absent-mindedly opened the drawer on the table. A small cardstock box caught her eye. She immediately slammed the door shut.

WAS THAT WHAT I THOUGHT IT WAS?

She gingerly opened the drawer again. Yep, it was exactly what she thought. It was a small box filled with individually foil-wrapped latex circles. Ruby was suddenly very, VERY uncomfortable. For what reason would a lady as dignified as Winter need to use such things! The only men that she knew Winter spent time with were The General, who couldn't be the one since he was married to Mrs The General, and...

Oh no...

She stood up really quickly, feeling violently sick. Weiss giggled at her.

"You figured it out, yet? Them together? Pretty nasty, right?"

Ruby shuddered in place. Why? Why did she have to be curious? If she had left the stupid drawer

"Hey Winter!"

No, shut up!

"Yes, Weiss?"

"When're you and Qrow gonna get married? I wanna be th' made of horror!"

The silence was deafening. Winter had stopped moving entirely, her pale skin going sheet white.

"I meant maid of honour. Shit, I'm far gone."

"...how..."

"His jacket is in the closet, idiot. Also there's condoms in every room and now Ruby's scarred for life and it's pretty obvious you like him and I wonder why him though because sure he's hot and roguish and handsome but like he's a drunk and all that but he raised Ruby and Yang so I guess he's a good guy."

Weiss downed the last of her glass. Her mouth had disobeyed her entirely, spewing forth a barrage of nonsense. Ruby couldn't decide whether she wanted to laugh or cry. Maybe both. Winter calmly walked over to the living room and sat down across from them.

"I suppose there is no better time to say this to the both of you. Although I cannot think of a worse time, but alas, here we are."

She reached into her pocket and procured a golden ring, encrusted with a small transparent stone. Ruby eyed the rock, her heart slowly crumbling in her chest.

Are you fucking kidding me.

"Ohmygosh Winter! Congradurations! SO proud of you! Dad's gonna be mad, though. You know 'ow he feels."

"I do, and I'd prefer if the two of you kept quiet about this engagement. Ruby, do you have anything to say about this subject? I can understand if you feel uncomfortable."

Ruby only had one thing on her mind.

"Is he happy?"

Winter paused.

"I do not underst-"

"Is he happy?"

"He has quit drinking, and he does seem to be more pleased with his own life now. Is that what you are referring to?"

Ruby let the edges of her mouth curl upwards.

"You got him to quit drinking?"

"Well, he'll have a glass of wine with dinner, but so do I. He gave up drinking constantly like he used to. He smiles more now."

"Then I approve. You have my blessing, Winter. Even though you are nine years older and fully capable of making your own choices. But since you make him happy, I'll be okay with it."

Winter smiled again. It was unnerving how honest her happiness was. Ruby, too, felt happy.

"Thank you, Ruby."

Weiss lolled her mouth open, smiling like an idiot.

"Awww you guy's're so cute, you know. I like you two. No, wait. I love you."

Winter and Ruby chuckled at the ice-princess's drunken stupor.

"I think I need to take her to the hotel now and put her to bed. Dinner was excellent, Winter. I am very proud of you as well."

She stood up and grasped Weiss's hands, guiding her back to the doorway. The girl giggled in her grasp.

There goes my plans for sex today. Shit.

Winter took their coats from the closet and dressed Weiss, as she seemed to need help standing up. Just the difficulty her friend was having figuring out how sleeves worked made her laugh as she donned her own coat. They said their goodbyes, and Ruby got an extra-long, and extra-booby hug from the tall woman.

"Thank you for not freaking out over me and your uncle, Ruby."

"He's not really my uncle. It's more of an honorary thing. But if I'm not invited to your wedding I will be severely upset."

Winter let out a genuine laugh as she assisted in depositing her sister into the passenger seat of Ruby's truck.

"You're going to be one of my bridesmaids, obviously."

Ruby smiled and blushed a little as she got a second hug from Winter. Despite her cold-sounding name, she really was warm. Ruby climbed into her truck and fired it up, looking over to her passenger, who seemed to have fallen asleep already. It made her smile as she pulled out of the driveway and back onto their journey.

"I love Drunk Weiss."


	15. Chapter 15: Skating

Chapter 44

Everything was wobbly. The trees, were wobbly. The ground, was wobbly. The _air_ , was wobbly. She couldn't feel her legs beneath her. She tried to stand, but something was holding her back and digging into her shoulder. And lap. That was weird. Why was there something around her lap? She looked down. A belt. She was wearing a belt. And some kind of sash? She tried to move them, but every time she did, they snapped back into place. Someone laughed out of her line of sight. Who dared laugh at her?! She was a princess! Look at my dress!

" _I love drunk Weiss._ "

Drunk Weiss? Drunk Weiss? Who in the good god and planet was Weiss? I am Princess Snow White! A god-damn princess! She tried to yell, but found herself unable, as her mouth seemed to be non-functioning. Well, more wobbly, actually. Never mind yelling. She pulled out her sword, ready to fight the dragon that was roaring loudly before her. She swung wildly at the large red monster, but her sword didn't break though! It wobbled!

"Why's my sord all wibbily?"

She swung again, and her sword once again just bent against the enemy in front of her. It was fruitless. The disembodied voice called out to her again.

" _That's because your 'sword' is a piece of licorice. Maybe try eating it?_ "

Licorice? Preposterous! Although, that did explain the scent of strawberry. She bit into the tip of her sword. It was, in fact, actually candy. Perhaps she should listen to this omnipotent voice, as it seemed to know what it was talking about. But the monster remained! She swung the candy sword again, but missed, as she had already forgotten that she had eaten the end. More laughing.

" _You are the most adorable drunk I think I've ever met, Weiss. I love you_."

There it was again! Who was this Weiss? Was it her? The dragon fazed out of view, replaced by a red blur in her vision. Her head was starting to hurt. It's gone? Defeated is the monster! But what to do about this ambivalent presence who claimed she loved her? I mean, obviously this voice did, seeing as she was a princess and all. Everybody has to love the Royal Princess! More head pain. She brought her hand up to her forehead. Who dares hurt the princess?

" _Hey you dope. Drink some water. And please don't yack on my seat_."

How uncouth of you, disembodied voice! I would never! Suddenly, she felt like she needed to. Her head had started swimming. Her fantasy was slowly shattering. She looked down. Gone was her exuberant dress, replaced by the fluffy skirt and blazer she had forgotten about. Where was her kingdom? Where was her knight in shining armour? Wait, maybe it was the invisible voice! She turned her head to one side and tried to reach forward.

 _Whack_

The laughing returned as she clutched her head, which hurt like a bitch. With that last blow, she sobered up a little. Gone was the fantasy, replaced by the reality that she was not, in fact, a princess, but a regular person. And the ambivalent voice? Well, that was Ruby. And Ruby was laughing at her after her little collision with the passenger side window pane. Window _pain,_ more like.

" _Weiss, are you okay?_ "

She groaned.

"Yeah, no'm good. Where's that water you promised?"

The bottle was tossed into her lap. Weiss tried to reach for it, but the smooth aluminium bottle slid off her lap and onto the floor. Ruby laughed again. Weiss struggled to reach forward to grab the awful taunting object, deciding that unbuckling her seatbelt would work better. She fiddled with the buckle, and when it finally gave, she reached for the bottle. And fell of the seat to the sound of uproarious laughter from her driver.

 _That's it, no kisses for you._

Weiss collapsed on the floor, content to wallow in pity on the floor for a second. Eventually, she decided to get back up onto the bench, bottle in hand. Her head was swimming, and her hands were shaking as she unscrewed the top off the bottle. But it didn't open.

"Lefty loosey, Weiss-cream."

Right. Of course. She twisted the other direction, and the cap finally came loose. She took a sip.

 _FUCK_

Most of the water sloshed out of the bottle as the truck hit a bump in the road, soaking her shirt through to her undergarments. Maybe she should not have consumed as much alcohol as she had. That Mistralian vintage had been considerably higher than the fourteen percent stuff she normally drank. And four glasses of the stuff certainly not been wise. And now she was soaked. Still a little inebriated, Weiss decided a change of clothes was in order. She got up on her knees on the seat, turning backwards and grabbing a few things from her bag at random. She didn't need an overly complex outfit since they were going straight to the hotel. SDC branded athletic pants, one of her fitted v-necks, and a new bra. Simple stuff.

She unbuttoned her blazer and tossed it behind the seat and onto the floor. It was clean, so why should it matter? She started to pull at each of the buttons on her blouse, fighting with each one with her shaking, mildly drunk hands. When she got to the final button, she stopped as Ruby had made a noise in her direction.

"Weiss! What are you doing?!"

She smirked, and pulled her blouse off all the way, leaving herself only in the skirt and her now-waterlogged bra. Being drunk still, Weiss cared not about her body image, as her inhibition was severely inhibited. She reached around her back and undid the clasp of her bra, struggling with each one of the three tiny hooks. How did anyone ever use these damn things drunk? It's like they were designed to specifically halt function when you were sloshed! She finally got it unclasped, and tossed the ruined garment over her shoulder and into the cargo area. She looked over at Ruby with a smug look on her face.

"Gettin' back at you fer laughin' at me. Dolt."

She unbuckled the belt on her skirt, and slid them down her slender legs, watching Ruby's face as she did. Each centimetre that her skirt went down, the younger brunette's face went a darker shade of red. Once they were all the way off, Weiss tossed her skirt over at Ruby, who shrieked wordlessly and flung the offending garment over her shoulder and into the back. Weiss sat back on the seat, ignoring her pile of dry clothes for a moment, content to sit there wearing only her panties. It amused her so that Ruby was so incredibly flustered by nudity. Didn't they have a shower together just the other day? And then hadn't they slept naked? Gosh, what a prude! Weiss decided to one-up herself. She hooked her thumbs under the hem of her undergarments and began sliding them down as well.

"Weiss, what the fuck?!"

Wow, rude. She was entirely naked now. She actually liked it. She felt free.

"Please put your clothes on!"

Weiss slid herself over on the seat and pressed her naked body up against her girlfriend. Ruby shrieked again and pushed her back to her side of the bench, making Weiss giggle uncontrollably.

"Nooooope!"

"Weiss, please be reasonable!"

Weiss crossed her arms under her boobs, lifting them upwards and pushing her chest out. Ruby whined.

"What, do you not like my breasts, Ruby? Is it because they're small? Do you hate my flat chest?"

It wasn't strictly true, of course, as thirty-two B wasn't small, per se. But it was smaller than the overwhelming bust that her friend had accumulated since after leaving Beacon. While still there, Ruby had been much less chesty than she was now, while Weiss had remained almost exactly the same in terms of her body measurements. She actually enjoyed still having such a lithe body, as it made sure that all of her suits and dresses still fit from her younger days. Ruby seemed distressed, however.

"No, Weiss, that's not what I- I mean I like them a lot, just- UGH you're being so mean!"

Weiss wiggled her chest, letting her breasts sway a little. Once again, making Ruby whine. Clearly the younger girl saw something she wanted. But since she was driving, she couldn't have. Weiss smirked at her again.

"What are you gonna do about it? Did you want to touch?"

Ruby frowned. It was adorable. Her hand went down to the window crank. Wait, what was she planning?

"Yes. But put your damn clothes on, you pervert. We're almost at the hotel."

"C'mon, Rubes, don't you want to be naked with me? I'd be naked with me if I were you."

Weiss hiccuped, which actually worked to make Ruby smile, despite the very angry and very blushing expression she was exhibiting.

"Maybe later, but please not while we're in public!"

Weiss snickered again, putting her hands up behind her head and crossing her legs in her best 'do your worst' body position.

"Alright, you asked for this."

Weiss's eyes went wide at the sound of Ruby cranking her window down. The frozen air ripped into the cab of the truck, bringing a decent volume of snow with it. Weiss had never dressed herself quicker.

Chapter 45

Traffic in the little Olympic village was sparse. Nobody seemed to want to be out driving in this weather. It wasn't cold, only a few degrees below, but the snow was coming down like a sheet, heavy and fluffy. Ruby turned up the heat in the truck. A few minutes before they had pulled into _Vorkämpfer_ Weiss had fallen asleep, _finally_ having gotten dressed again after a bit of 'aggressive suggestion' on her part. That had been funny. Ruby corralled the heavy four-by-four through the tight and snow-covered streets, trying to keep the leviathan engine quiet so that her passenger could remain asleep. She looked over at the girl, who slept silently against the door panel.

 _I really love that girl. She's so incredibly perfect._

Ruby felt her cheeks start to glow. What had she ever done to earn this girl? She thought about the past eight years. Day one she had knocked this person over, spilled probably fifty grand worth of dust on the cobblestones, and then actually detonated. In normal circumstances, they should have been enemies, even made worse after the debacle that had been initiation. Weiss had only chosen her because the other option had been...

...well _him._ She pushed the image from her mind, substituting it with thoughts of angry Weiss instead. _Damn_ she was cute when she was upset! The first five months of first year had been awash with Weiss getting upset at her over little things like not doing homework, leaving her bed in a mess, and eating too many cookies. Yet, every time one of these instances had been solved very quickly, with Weiss simply sighing and forgiving her. They spent a lot of time in the library together, with Ruby getting free tutoring by her very strict partner, usually in their pyjamas. Ruby smiled. She liked the time they spent together. Some time before the dance, Weiss had had a severe change of heart when it came to her, as she would often bring her out on mini-dates to town and buy her baked goods. And she would occasionally _hold her hand!_

Ruby loved that. It was something to her that was both very intimate and lovingly platonic at the same time. Weiss had had no problem displaying affection towards her, even when Yang was around. Ruby chuckled. She was _exceptionally_ brave in that sense. Yang was _really_ protective of her little sister, after all. In recent years, Yang had slowly seemed to be warming up to Weiss. Back at school, Ruby recalled, Yang had always been overly antagonistic towards the rich girl, always criticizing her for literally anything that came to mind. Ruby smiled, remembering some of the more common occurrences.

Once, during second year, Weiss had gotten Ruby and herself tickets to see a movie that hadn't actually come out yet, thanks to perks of her father's company. Ruby smiled, realizing now that it might have actually been a date. She remembered how her sister had _very_ angrily 'had a word' with Weiss about how she would deal with her should she step out of line. Weiss's reaction had been worth saying yes to her _in front_ of Yang. Ruby pulled the truck around the corner. The next night's hotel loomed into sight at the other end of the road. She looked over at Weiss. Still snoozing. She thought Weiss was absolutely adorable the way that she had curled up, her hands tucked up under her cheek and a very happy smile on her face. Maybe she too was thinking about their many accidental dates.

Her favourite accidental date of theirs had been one year on Weiss's actual birthday, which Ruby had forgotten was actually on Valentine's Day. It had started simply as Ruby asking her friend to hang out on her birthday, and that she would pay for her dinner and such as a present, not realizing that the Fourteenth of February was actually Valentine's Day. So when she had asked Blake her opinion of where to take her friend, the faunus had reminded her that she should always take her 'girlfriend' to somewhere romantic for the love-themed holiday. Ruby, of course, had made sure she was super defensive, before realizing her error. Needless to say, _that_ particular date had been super awkward.

They arrived at the hotel. It wasn't the opulent resort from the night before, but it was nice enough for the final night of the 'to' trip. Ruby pulled into the front driveway of the hotel, the aptly named _Snow Palace,_ and shut off the huge motor. Once the truck had rumbled to a halt, she stepped out and moved smoothly over to the passenger side. She pulled the heavy steel door open, being careful not to wake the snoozing girl. As gently as she could, she reached under Weiss's armpits and knees, lifting her off of the seat in her arms. Weiss cuddled up against her chest. Ruby's heart skipped a little as the smaller girl nuzzled her face against her breasts, as if she was trying to force her face _through_ the fabric and onto the breasts. Ruby blushed.

 _I-I mean...If you want I can let you in._

She ignored the burning sensation in her chest from the impure thoughts and walked inside the hotel. She made sure to whisper to the receptionist, collecting their room cards and receiving the quietest explanation of the spa facilities she had ever heard. She carried the sleeping figure up to their room, having to fight with the electronic door lock briefly, seeing as she was carrying Weiss, the room cards, her duffle bag, one of Weiss's suitcases, and a third bag containing something she hoped she could do with Weiss later tonight. A shame that the girl was asleep, really. She tossed the bags quietly onto the bed, keeping Weiss in her arms. She happy mass in her arms seemed to try once again to snuggle closer. She looked down.

Weiss's baby-blue eyes were open and fixated on her face, a bright smile on her face. Ruby nearly dropped her, not realizing she was actually awake. The girl giggled at her, her eyes bright and full of life.

"Hey, Ruby. I love you. Can we kiss?"

Ruby had no response. Well, no _verbal_ response. She squeaked. _Actually squeaked._ It made the girl in her arms laugh again.

"So is that a yes, or..."

 _OKAY, FINE YOU PERV._

Ruby pushed through her thundering heart, leaning her face in and planting a kiss gently on the lips presented to her, blushing all the while. Weiss certainly didn't taste like wine anymore, perhaps she might be coordinated enough to participate in the activity Ruby had planned for them for when they arrived. She let Weiss put her feet on the ground and support her own weight again, finally stepping apart. Weiss was smiling. Ruby felt like she was in love again.

 _My heart is never gonna recover from this girl._

Weiss plopped down onto the bed, her long hair bouncing around freely. She didn't _seem_ inebriated anymore, which was beneficial for her plans. She strolled over to the bed Weiss was sitting on, deciding to sit with her for a minute.

 _Or what if I sat on her lap?_

She blushed, not wanting to push forward too far. Was it alright? Didn't Weiss do exactly this just this morning? And hadn't that felt amazing? Fuck it, time for action. Ruby swung her legs over Weiss's, pulling herself onto the girl's lap. Weiss giggled, making Ruby smile like an idiot, but she managed to hold back her own laughing. Her heart was straining to burst through her ribs. She took a strand of Weiss's soft long hair in her fingers and twirled it. Weiss's hands found their way around her back, making her hair stand slightly on end.

"So, I have an idea of what we can do tonight."

Weiss pushed her face into her boobs again. Ruby's face flushed. The amount of blood that had flowed to her face in the last few days should be considered a medical condition, she figured. Weiss mumbled something into her breasts, making them vibrate slightly. Ruby suddenly found herself liking it.

"What did you have in mind, then?" The woman she was sat upon cooed. Ruby leaned in and landed a soft kiss on the girl's forehead. Ruby liked the fact that she could open up around this girl. She gestured over to the second bag she had brought in with them.

"Are you sober enough to stand?"

Weiss nodded, smiling up at her.

"Alright. So you know this town hosted the Olympics twenty years ago?"

Weiss's eyes lit up. Maybe she was also in love, Ruby thought.

"Well, there is a lovely garden just down the road from here, where I thought we could have a little date without spending a cent. I promise you'll like it."

Weiss raised her eyebrows.

"You're taking me on a date? Do you have ulterior motives? Did you want me to be your girlfriend?"

 _SO DAMN MUCH._

"I mean, aren't you already?"

Weiss pulled her face down and encompassed her lips in her own. Ruby, startled by the sudden smooching, withdrew a little, before allowing herself to be overcome by the feeling. The warmth emanating from the shorter girl's face was intoxicating. Her eyes rolled back in her head, eyelids slowly drifting shut. Weiss's mouth opened slightly, letting her tongue flick against hers. Where had Weiss learned to kiss like this? Hands found their way up under the front of her blouse, nails dragging softly against her skin. Ruby found her own hands moving on their own, mirroring the other woman's movements, her hands slipping up under Weiss's v-neck. The hands under her shirt found the front clasp, easily undoing it. Her breasts heaved forward, finally free of their rather cramped constraints. Ruby frowned internally, as her lips were a little busy at the moment. Perhaps her breasts were in fact larger than the 32-D she had assumed.

Ruby's own hands found her girlfriend's breasts, her slender fingers having no problem sliding up underneath the custom-tailored bra's tight-fitting acrylic underwire. She wrapped her palms around the girl's much smaller breasts as Weiss did the same, encompassing the overwhelming bust in her tiny hands. Ruby enjoyed the fondling she was receiving. Weiss was so _gentle!_

 _Wait, weren't we supposed to go on a date?_

Right. Ruby smiled through the kiss, and pulled away slightly, her hands still wrapped around Weiss's boobs. The girl she was sitting on smiled up at her, her hands still cupping the substantial bosoms. She gave them an admiring squeeze.

"I think so. So what's this date you had in mind?"

Ruby gently stepped off of the girl's lap, bringing her hands up under her own shirt and re-doing the clasp up. She winked over at the girl, watching her re-adjust her bra as well, blushing a little.

"Let me first put some wind-pants on. I don't want to be outside in a skirt..." her girlfriend's eyes fell. "...even though you enjoy seeing me in one. I would prefer not to freeze my buns off."

She turned her back to the girl on the bed, slowly sliding the skirt down her legs and past her knees. Weiss squeaked from behind her. Ruby smirked. She wasn't even trying to be sexy. _This time._

 _Maybe Weiss likes me. Good._

Chapter 46

Weiss allowed herself to be lead by the hand slowly down the street. Ruby had said they were going to a park that was just next to the hotel, and judging by their trajectory, they were headed to the large ornate arch just at the end of the road. The huge letters perched atop the arch read _Eisbahn,_ which in Valean read 'skating rink'. Did Ruby intend on taking her there? But they didn't have any...

...Her bag. The bag Ruby had brought out of her truck, which was slung over her shoulder, likely contained skates. But wouldn't Ruby have brought only one pair? Yeah, that made sense. Or perhaps Ruby intended to demonstrate her abilities! Weiss smiled to herself. This indestructible soldier, with the body of a buxom goddess, might be able to figure skate? The thought excited her. Maybe she should have insisted that Ruby keep the skirt on. That would have been hot.

 _Plus, maybe I could have seen up her skirt when she jumped!_

No. Bad Weiss.

 _Yes. Good Weiss._

No! She clenched down on Ruby's hand.

 _Weren't your hands on her boobs like twenty minutes ago?_

She shut herself up. Inner Weiss was trying to jump Ruby. Not now. They arrived at the rink. Nobody else was out at this hour, despite the large clock tower at the back of the square only reading quarter after ten. Ruby guided her over to a bench that sat at the edge of the rink, the both of them sitting down. Ruby tossed the bag at their feet.

"So, are you ready to skate?"

Wait, what? Did Ruby expect her to go out on the ice? Didn't she only have one pair of skates? Ruby unzipped the bag. Inside, Weiss could see that, in fact, there was two pairs of skates, one being a thick, black pair of sports skates, and the other...

"Would you prefer my hockey skates, or my figure skates?"

 _Are you kidding me._

Weiss didn't know how to react, for the simple fact that _she didn't know how to skate._ Well, how hard could it be? Both Winter and Whitley had been skating since they were like two, and Whitley even won kid's figure skating competitions in his youth. So if _he_ could do it, so could she. She eyed the two pairs of skates. The hockey set looked considerably more sturdy. Perhaps they would be easier to use.

"Those ones."

 _My god, woman, you still don't know how to skate. We're going to get hurt._

Ruby yanked the hockey skates from the bag and placed them gently in the snow at Weiss's feet. She looked down at them. They represented a serious obstacle. What if Ruby didn't like her unless she could skate? She looked over at the girl, who was busy unlacing the miles of shoelace that wrapped around the kinda expensive-looking figure skates. She picked up one of the padded skates and examined it in her hands. The blade looked unnecessarily sharp, glimmering almost in the lamplight. She imagined it was sharp enough to cut through sexual tension.

She pulled off her boots, placing them into the now-empty bag, holder her socked feet up in the air so as they didn't touch the snowy ground. Gingerly, she pulled one of the skates on. The boot was much stiffer than she had expected, perhaps due to the plastic support structure built into the heel. Her foot was finally squeezed into the tight-fitting skate, a little cramped, but perhaps that's just how it was supposed to be. The second skate went on in the same manner, stiff and tight.

 _Giggity._

Weiss smiled, as she laced up the skates, tight enough so her ankles didn't wobble. Ruby had already had her laces tied up at this point, and she was now standing, carefully balanced on the razor-sharp edges of the blades. Weiss nodded to her, signalling for her to go ahead and get on the ice. She focused her attention on taking as much time doing up the laces as she could. The longer she took, the longer she could avoid the fact she couldn't skate. How humiliating it was, her name _literally_ meant 'snow'! She was from Atlas! It was winter all the time!

"You comin'?"

"Just one sec!"

She could hear Ruby's skates hit the ice, scraping silently along the frozen surface. Welp, her skates were now done up, there was no postponing the inevitable. She sat up on the bench, watching Ruby for a moment. It was immensely elegant the way that the young soldier could effortlessly move over the slippery surface. Shouldn't she have fallen by now? How was she able to remain upright? Ruby suddenly turned her attention over. Oh no. She careened over, skidding to an obnoxious stop in front of the bench, sending a shower of ice shavings all over her.

"So, are you just gonna sit there, or are you gonna come out?"

 _Nice turn of phrase._

There was no avoiding it now. Making fun of Ruby for not knowing how to swim the other day had come full circle. She looked up at her friend through her messy bangs, a sheepish grin on her face.

"Yeah, so here's the deal. I can't skate."

Ruby's face lit up, a cheerful look on her face.

"So the other day when you teased me for not knowing how to swim has come back around on ya, eh?"

She held out her hand. Did she intend to teach her how to skate? Weiss took the outstretched hand, allowing herself to be brought to her feet. Her legs immediately started to wobble beneath her. How was anyone supposed to stand on these skinny blades? As slowly as humanly possible, she placed the death-shoes onto the ice. They dug in with more traction she was expecting.

"Don't worry, Weiss, I'll teach you. Now, what you're gonna do first is..."

Weiss didn't have time to figure out what she was going to do first, as very suddenly, and very _painfully_ , Weiss's borrowed skates lost all ability to be connected to the ice, and she found herself suddenly on her bum on the ground. It stung, but the temperature of the ice quickly numbed the pain. Ruby laughed, but helped her to her feet again. Her legs wavered, but the blades dug in again. She elected not to move a muscle, clinging to her friend's body. Somehow, just the act of standing up straight was the most difficult thing in the universe.

"As I was saying, first what you're gonna do is balance on the middle of your foot. Too far back and you'll end up on your tush again."

What kind of masochist invented this heinous sport? She tried balancing on the middle of her feet. That seemed to work. She no longer felt the urge to become one with the ice. Ruby spun around on her skates, backwards before her. Weiss immediately put her hand onto Ruby's shoulders, her hands biting down into the poofy fabric of her jacket. Ruby's hands moved to support her under her armpits. She was now balanced, or at least enough to not fall forward or backward.

"Okay, now hold tight."

Ruby started skating backwards, pulling her along slowly. Her borrowed skates started gliding forward, her legs starting to hurt from the tension in her muscles.

"Also, relax."

Weiss exhaled, allowing her body to de-stress. She allowed Ruby to pull her along the frozen surface, gliding backwards without looking. How was that even possible? How did she not fall? Weiss wobbled. She wasn't even drunk any more! Ruby never wavered.

"Okay, you're doing good. When you want to skate, put most of your weight on one leg, and push off with the other. Don't worry, I got you."

Weiss tried to follow the instruction. She leaned over to one side slightly, and tried to emulate the moves she watched the athletes on TV do, pushing off with one leg. It worked! She slid forward, half under her own power, pushing against her mentor. She smiled, trying again on the other side. It was working! She was skating!

"Hey, you're doing good!"

 _Doing well, not good._

Again, arbitrarily correcting grammar. Did she have to do this? In her moment of distraction, her foot dug into the ice. Her eyes went wide, her body losing all control, falling over again, this time on her face. She sat up on the ice, pouting. This was not fair. Ruby helped her up again, still laughing.

"C'mon, don't be discouraged. You're doing great for a first timer!"

"You're not upset that I can't skate?"

Ruby laughed, supporting her again. Her hands were on her hips now. Weiss blushed at the more intimate touch.

"Don't be ridiculous, Weiss-cream. Did you make fun of me for not being able to swim?"

Weiss thought for a moment.

"Maybe a little bit?"

Ruby laughed again, tugging her around the rink again. It was going smoother this time.

"Nah, you were cool about it! So I'll help you learn. No problem. I love you, after all."

 _Be still, my beating heart!_

Weiss flushed a deep red.

"I, uh, I-I love you too."

Ruby giggled at her. Weiss stumbled again, but was able to remain standing. Why did every time Ruby said that did she go weak in the knees? And did she have to say it while she was wearing slippery death blades on her feet? It's like she was _trying_ to make her stumble! Ruby took her by the hands, guiding her around. Weiss realized that she was effectively skating under her own power at this point.

"You're a fast learner, Weiss-cream! Keep going!"

Weiss kept pushing herself forward. She was skating! It was terrifying!

 _This is the most fun I've ever had while being close to death!_

They continued to skate like this for a while, something like half an hour went by, with Weiss getting guided around the rink by Ruby. She found herself actually enjoying skating! She hadn't fallen since the first couple of times, and was now more confident on her feet. She tried a few times to skate on her own, but found herself not _that_ confident, quickly latching back onto Ruby after a few seconds. She was still certainly enjoying herself, getting to hold onto the woman's delicious curves. The farthest she got to skating on her own was skating _next_ to Ruby, while holding her hand. Well, more crushing her hand than holding it. But they were skating together!

 _This is the best date in the world._

"H-hey Ruby?"

The girl looked over at her. Her unwavering smugness at being able to skate so fluently was almost annoying at this point.

"Yeah?"

Weiss's heart hammered. She was so fanatically flushed red at this point. She needed to tell this girl how she felt. Never in her life had she felt this way about a person. All those years hanging out, slowly falling for this adorable soldier. She was her best friend in the whole world, and now...

"Ruby, I think I am in love with you. I'm certain of it."

Ruby stumbled on her skates, but maintained her composure, suddenly going a very deep red. They stopped at one end of the rink. Ruby turned them so they were facing each other. Her face displayed a very goofy smile.

"I know, Weiss."

 _What? That's it? I open my heart to you and you-_

"I'm in love with you too. I am also certain of it. You know, I'm pretty sure I have since the day I knocked over your suitcases on the first day of school."

Weiss laughed, tearing up. Did this girl have to be so adorable?

"Yeah, that. You know, that was probably a hundred grand of dust you spilled. You're lucky that you stole my heart that day, or I would probably never forgiven you."

Ruby went pale.

"A hundr- are you kidding me? You would have been justified to kill me!"

"No, Ruby, never! I was suddenly in love!"

"But you _did_ yell at me."

Weiss laughed again.

"That's because I was suddenly run into by probably the most attractive creature in the whole world. I didn't know how to react!"

"Gosh, you're such a flirt."

Weiss smiled. She enjoyed being forward towards Ruby. Perhaps she should try to kiss this gorgeous vixen? She leaned in, lips parted. Ruby's lips seemed to separate as well. It was going to be her favourite kiss in the world. Their lips touched...

 _FUCK._

Her skates suddenly lost contact with the ice, and her bum _found_ contact with it. Ruby laughed _again._

Chapter 47

Ruby leaned against the counter in the tiny bathroom. The shower was running, and the thick steam was not yet pouring out from around the shower curtain. She sniffed. Damn cold air, making her all plugged up. She fiddled with the ties on her pyjama bottoms, staring down at her feet, distracted. Weiss was very sweet for trying so hard at skating. For someone who _said_ she didn't know how, they ended the night with her skating on her own. She smiled. Weiss, a seven-figure-salary business person who usually carried herself with such purpose and confidence was downright _adorable_ when she was flustered by wearing skates. There was a soft knock at the door. It was Weiss, of course. Ruby cooed at her.

"Who is it?"

" _The milkman."_

"Come in, sir, my husband isn't home!"

The door creaked open, and her friend strolled through, laughing quietly. She too, was wearing her pyjamas, the same plaid flannel ones she had had back during their Beacon days. Weiss strolled up next to her, resting against the counter as well. A soft hand was placed against her stomach as the _slightly_ shorter woman cuddled against her for the nth time that day. She _really_ loved this girl. She made her feel normal.

"Is it ready for us yet?"

Ruby pushed off from the counter, slipping out of Weiss's grasp. She stuck her hand inside the shower, letting the water wash over the back of her hand. It seemed warm enough. She shrugged, nodding over to Weiss. Her eyes lit up.

"Sweet! Now I can get naked!"

Ruby walked over, halting her from moving her hands to her shirt. She smiled at her, shaking a little.

"How about... how about we get _each other_ naked?"

Weiss flushed red. She seemed to hesitate for a second. Maybe she wasn't ready for tha- and her hands had already slid up her shirt. _Gosh, what a perv!_

"Arms up!"

Ruby smiled and complied, lifting her arms above her head and letting the excited pervert slide her t-shirt up and over her head. It was tossed to the floor on the other side of the room. Instead of moving to the bottoms, however, Weiss seemed more interested in the 'tops', as she leaned over slightly and mushed her face between her boobs. Ruby smiled down at the face against her chest.

"You gonna..."

"Nope. I'm good."

She smiled, placing her hands on the front of Weiss's shirt, her fingers finding the buttons that lay there. She let Weiss hum happily into her breasts as she blindly started undoing the tiny plastic buttons. They yielded with ease, and very quickly the whole front of the shirt was open. Ruby popped it off the girl's shoulders, who let the garment fall down her arms and onto the floor. Her hands swung themselves around and onto the waistband of Ruby's pants, tugging them effortlessly down over wide and womanly hips. Past that point, gravity took over and they fell to the floor. Ruby took the time to step out of them and step back a bit from the boob-crazy Weiss. Weiss sat herself on the edge of the counter, and Ruby took this opportunity to yank the cuffs of the loose-fitting pyjamas and pull them off in one go. They were now both naked, Ruby suddenly realized. It seemed that Weiss had realized that, too.

"Holy fuck, you're hot."

Ruby blushed and turned away slightly.

"I dunno about that, Weiss-cream."

"You don't understand, Ruby. That scar is making me horny."

 _Whoa!_

Ruby was not prepared for that. Her whole body went red. The copious amount of blushing she had been doing recently probably could be considered a problem. Ruby turned, gesturing to the scar that ran across her stomach.

"This one? How?"

Weiss brought her hand up to her face, pushing her messy bangs off of her left eye. She pointed to it, a mildly serious expression on her face.

"See this? I have to go to meetings, meet dignitaries, and be the face of a multi-billion-dollar corporation with this awful thing on my face."

She was talking about her own scar on her face, the one that ran through her eyebrow and down to her cheek. Her scar was the result of a large Grimm she fought in her youth, so she always told her.

"And let me just say, living for this many years with a scar I have to look at everyday, I learned to love it. And it may or may not have become something I find attractive in others, Rose-Petal."

Weiss winked at her. She _liked_ the scar? That much? Wow. Weiss moved over, brushing her fingers across the scar tissue on her stomach. She took her by the hand and led her over to the shower, pushing aside the curtain and stepping inside. Ruby followed her in, feeling the water flowing against her back as she passed under the shower head. The light in the shower was fairly dim, almost as romance-y as it had been the day before. But not quite.

"Actually, let me put it like this..."

Ruby let herself be turned around under the shower head, in the rather loving embrace of Weiss, who had encircled her arms around her torso. Ruby tilted her head slightly, curious as to what Weiss was going to say.

"You like cars, eh?"

Ruby nodded.

"And you like auto racing?"

Ruby nodded again. Where was Weiss going with this?

"Your scar..."

She trailed her fingers over it. Ruby shivered at the touch. Was it always this _sensitive?_ And it felt this _good?_

"...is like a bit of contact damage on a fine Mistralian race car. Adds to the sexiness, you know?"

Most of Ruby's brain shut off.


	16. Chapter 16: A Friend

Chapter 48

It was early. _Really_ early. Weiss opened her eyes. A glance over at the clock made her want to gag. Why was it four-fifty-eight in the morning? Ugh. She sat up. A chill ran across her chest, and looking down, she found that she was entirely topless. She blinked. That didn't seem right.

 _Oh my. Wait, did we..._

Her eyes adjusted to the light. No, she wasn't topless, her shirt had just ridden up past her breasts, leaving them quite exposed. It certainly was chilly in the room, dictated by her body's external "thermometers". She quickly adjusted the shirt, to make herself more decent. She looked over at the lump on the other side of the bed. It was inflating and deflating with a quiet rhythm. Her heart skipped. She could barely remember anything that had happened the night before. Something about dinner? About kissing? With _Ruby_? A warm glow came to her face, remembering the younger girl's affections for her before they went...

...dating? Something like that? Weiss honestly couldn't remember. She did recall falling over. Her bum had just now started to alert her to such a fact. She turned her legs sideways on the bed, placing her feet onto the soft carpet floor. At that exact moment, her body was made violently aware of the headache. Holy _gods_ the headache was real. She nearly flopped back over. Was this what a hangover felt like? Weiss couldn't recall a time she had been as hammered as she had been last night at dinner. She slumped her shoulder against the headboard. It creaked.

 _I bet it creaked aaaall last night, you naughty minx._

Excuse me? Weiss coughed to cover her intense blush. What the actual hell. Why? Every time? She shook her head, ridding herself of the thoughts. Had there been sex last night? Surely not, since Ruby would have been a) too bashful; and b) morally high enough to not take advantage of a drunk person. Speaking of drunk, Weiss suddenly felt the urge to throw up. Her head swam _violently._ She tried to stand again, her legs fighting hard against the undeniable and unrelenting pull of gravity. She braced her hand against the headboard again, and it did creak, only quieter. Finally, she was on her feet. She wobbled.

"Ugh..."

She tried to talk to herself. Except her mouth fought back. It tasted like _death._

 _Fuck me, I need to brush my teeth. Now, if only I could stand properly._

She took a tentative step forward, not yet trusting her aching legs. She thought about her regular mornings at five am. Normally her morning included a quick workout. She was currently unsure if she could even move her legs properly yet, let alone do splits and lunges. She made her wobbly way to the bathroom, trying not to slam the door behind her. It thankfully clicked softly shut, despite the fact it was kinda hazy in her vision. Lumbering lazily over to the vanity, Weiss checked herself in the mirror. She was knocked aback by the sheer sight of it.

 _Fuck, now I'm certain we had sex._

Her hair was a disaster. It looked as if someone had detonated a small explosive device in her hair, and then went to town with a can of hairspray. Or glue. Such a sight brightened her cheeks a vivid red. She grabbed her toothbrush and tube of Shi-nee brand paste. Good _gods_ was this stuff awful. But she didn't have to like it, as it was made for sensitive gums. Which she had. Weiss winced as the brush made its way into her mouth. The taste of death on her tongue wasn't reassuring. It almost had a hint of...

 _Ok, now I'm upset that I don't remember any of this. Like, best night of my life and I can't fucking remember it? Bunch of fuckin' bullshit._

She raised her hand to examine it. Odd. Her fingers showed no signs of any... residue. She gave them a sniff. Nope. Smelled like regular fingers. Nothing seemed out of place. Her tongue felt fine, now that she had brushed the flavour of Satan's fiery asshole off of it, she was only sore on her tailbone, and her legs were wobbly because of the hangover, not from the other thing. Why did she have to be _drunk?_ If she had been sober, she would have remember the bedroom incident! It was so _unfair_. She spat the toothpaste out, taking the foul taste with it. She wiped her mouth on her sleeve. Except there _was_ no sleeve. She looked down at her attire. Ruby's tanktop? And Ruby's pyjama bottoms? What the _hell?_

The night came flooding back. There had been skating. It had been great? Maybe? She dropped her toothbrush back into its holder. Which fell on the ground. She pined, bending over to pick it up. Her bum ached from the impact on the ice, the memory of which had just hit her like a bus. So there was skating. Great. But Weiss didn't know how to skate, right? Why was she remembering skating? Oh well. What had happened after that, she wondered. Something involving water? She glanced over at the shower. Two towels lay on the ground. Right. A shower then, that was alright. But after that? Something stirred inside. She couldn't place the feeling.

 _Wait! The shower! Ruby fainted!_

Ah, yes of course! Ruby had fainted in the shower, and Weiss had carried her back to bed! She couldn't quite remember the reason the girl had fallen, but it had not mattered, as carrying the heavier girl had been difficult. Clearly it had been too difficult to dress the girl in her pj's as well. But... why had _she_ put them on? They were too loose in the hips and bust anyway! As if by magic, the pyjama bottoms took that moment to fall down past her hips and collected around her ankles.

 _Well. Shit._

Weiss pulled them back up, blushing like a tomato. She yanked the strings tight, as they had been tied for a woman with considerably wider hips. Specifically Ruby. A pang of jealousy coursed through her like a raging fire. Why did Ruby have to be _so much hotter._ All through Beacon, Ruby had been this lithe, skinny girl with no structure, and absolutely adorable. Weiss walked back out into the room proper, collecting an outfit from her bag, frowning over at the sleeping mass of person on their shared bed. Puberty had hit Ruby like a cement truck. How was that fair. It wasn't! Weiss glared at her chosen outfit. Reasonable business pants, and her favourite light-blue argyle sweater. It was put on with haste. She stood up, stretching her arms up over her head, trying to rid herself of the kink in her back. It worked, sort of. She glanced over at Ruby again, smiling over her disdain. How could she be angry at someone so simultaneously sexy and adorable? She couldn't! Maybe she should reward the girl for being so damn adorable.

 _What about we go buy some food and make her breakfast in bed? It's still way too early for her to be up, we'll be back in time._

Weiss turned this idea over in her head. It wasn't half bad! Inner Weiss was behaving herself today, it seemed. She smiled, strolling over to the closet, collecting her jacket and slinging it over her shoulder, humming quietly to herself. She slipped her feet into her shoes, rocking her ankle to get her heel to obey. With one last look over her shoulder at the sleeping, gleeful pile of Ruby, she left the room. The hallway was ominously quiet. Weiss checked her Scroll. It was only five in the morning, so of course no one was up yet. Not even the rowdy neighbours that had been a mild nuisance last night. Her flats tapped gently against the floor, with a soft thudding of tired legs. She tightened her grip on her jacket, increasing her pace down the hall, her long, flowing hair for once not tied up was whooshing around her waist. She made her way down to the elevators, content with the quiet solidarity of the inside of the small steel box. Her mind wandered to Ruby, again. It had been doing that more and more in the last few months. The bubbly and cheerful brunette had seemed more... pleased with her life in recent days. Yes, she often called about the nightmares involving a certain...

 _Bing_

Weiss jumped slightly. The soft bell of the elevator had torn her from her own thoughts, which were about two or three minutes away from making her _violently_ angry. She waited patiently as the doors slowly opened, before releasing her into the lobby. She strolled out, pushing every ounce of _him_ from her mind. She collected Ruby's keys from the valet desk with a smile, marching out into the cold winter air. It was snowing, of course, thick and heavy like it had been when they left the previous morning. Weiss shivered, pulling on her jacket and beginning the short trudge through the thick, poofy snow that coated the ground. It wasn't windy, which she was glad for, as she made her way to where the Ruby's enormous truck sat, currently covered in a thick coat of white powder. She frowned at it, brushing some of the annoying pack off of the driver's side window. This had been the first hotel she had ever stayed at that had an _outdoor_ parking lot. She grabbed the chromed door handle and pulled, and the door briefly refused to open. Another sharp tug and it gave way, creaking open on its forty-year-old hinges. The overhaul that had been done on this truck the day before at her own resort had clearly missed this aspect. Although, it probably added to the vintage aesthetic she thought as she climbed up into the towering SUV. She slotted the silver key into its slot on the column and turned. The leviathan motor coughed, argued a few times, tried cancelling plans last minute, and whined before finally firing into life with a guttural roar. Weiss smiled. She still couldn't explain why she liked the sound of this truck _so much._ Maybe because it belonged to Ruby, and it made Ruby happy.

She pulled the column lever down into drive and inched forward, still not fully comfortable with driving in the snow, expensive tires and four-wheel-drive notwithstanding. She felt comfortable with the traction she found, and with a shrug, she pulled the heavy machine out into the early morning traffic. Of which there was none. A quick squeeze of the throttle and she very quickly found herself up to the legal limit, a nervous grin falling across her face. Something about the way this truck made power was intoxicating. It wasn't the brute-force _whoosh_ that her car's twin turbos and all-wheel-drive provided, it was more of a _sledgehammer to the spine while shouting_ sort of delivery. She chuckled, letting off the accelerator. Maybe she shouldn't abuse Ruby's truck without her permission. She settled in, reaching over and flicking on the aftermarket radio.

" _Hey, goooood morning Atlas and welcome to Ruby Radio! Your home for all music from the 70's, 80's, and 90's, interspersed with talks about guns, girls, and cars, hosted by everyone's favourite brunette, Me! Ruby Rose!"_

Weiss let out a tiny laugh. Right, with Ruby gone from the radio studio, they had taken to playing reruns of her show at five in the morning. It wasn't unwelcome, it was just a little too _excited_ for this early in the morning. She turned it down as the soft feminine voice of Pat Benatar began to play. She pulled to a slow stop at the traffic light in the centre of town, the huge motor idling quietly under the acres of hood. She was alerted to the sound of an approaching car from behind her. She glanced down at the lane next to her as a bright yellow Hunter Rallye-X slid to a slow stop. There were two kids in the tiny bewinged sedan, probably out on a morning joyride. She smiled down at them, remembering her youth, driving that overpowered VHI Arrow early in the mornings on her way to work. Hell, she _still_ drove like a hooligan in the mornings. Albeit with roughly double the horsepower of the kid's car. Clearly the two enthusiasts noticed the way the truck seemed to be vibrating under the force of the engine. He revved his engine at her. She chuckled down at the two kids. Little did they know. The tiny two-litre flat for under the hood was a little over a quarter of the size of the leviathan eight cylinder bestowed to the Blaze-Charger. Weiss popped the column lever up one click into neutral and planted her right foot into the floor boards.

The noise it made was enough to scare all three of them. They clearly were not prepared for the excessively _medieval_ cacophony that the big four-fifty cubic inch engine fired out the tailpipe. The whole body rocked sideways as the motor tried desperately to twist the frame into a pretzel. The young kids seemed flabbergasted at the deafening noise. The light went green, and Weiss popped the transmission back into drive and pulled slowly away, leaving the teens sitting astonished at the stop light.

 _Kids these days. They don't know that vintage is always superior to modern equipment._

Weiss smiled to herself as she drove through the snowy town, down to the little marketplace she had seen on the way in. She parked the truck, letting the underhood earthquake settle down once more before stepping out into the cold, snowy air. She had to pull her jacket even tighter around herself as the falling snowflakes were threatening to go down her neck. She smirked. Ruby would have made a sweet remark about this being romantic, maybe. Inside the marketplace was less snowy, but still outside, as the large overhanging canopies shielded her and the produce stalls from the snow. Such a sight it was, all of these vendors here, early in the morning ready for sales, despite what some might call abysmal weather. She strolled up to the closest stall, which was covered in a selection of exquisite smelling strawberries and other assorted fruits. The old, grizzled farmer looked at her with a soft smile, and Weiss returned the smile, carefully selecting one of the boxes of strawberries and another of raspberries as well. Without any exchange of words, she handed the farmer the six lien for the two boxes of fruit, and left the stall. She had decided right then and there that perhaps a breakfast of yoghurt and berries would be a wonderful thing to wake up to. Especially seeing as their hotel room had no kitchen to cook anything elaborate in. She strolled down the covered market street, a gentle skip in her step. Everything was _fantastic_ this morning.

" _Weiss? Ist das wirklich du?"_

Weiss stopped mid-stride. Huh? She turned her head to try and pinpoint the voice that had called out to her.

" _Mein Gott, es ist wirklich du. Kleine Schneeflocke!"_

Schneeflocke? No one had called her that in a long time. The only person who had was…

"Dean!"

She turned fully around, her hair whipping around in a large fanning motion. Currently walking towards her was someone she had not seen in almost ten full years. There he was, the son of her childhood fencing tutor, the boy she would practice for hours of end with, the boy she had spent most of her childhood with. Her best friend, Dean goddamn Celeste. Without realizing it, she opened her arms and stepped forward, letting herself be encompassed by the boy- no- by the _man's_ arms. Dean wasn't a child anymore. In their youth, Dean had been this scrawny, short, adorable child, shorter even than herself. But now, he towered over her, by likely more than a foot. He certainly had grown _up,_ it seemed.

" _Scheiße. Ich hab' dich nicht für immer gesehen. Wo warst du gewesen?_ "

His accent was so lyrical and sweet, Weiss found herself a loss for words. She also found herself unable to speak for the simple reason that her face was pressed into his _unreasonably_ muscled chest. A wave of heat washed over her face. Had her childhood friend become...hot?

 _Ruby._

Oh no. A myriad of confused emotions were suddenly knocking at her door. He wasn't supposed to be attractive! That couldn't happen! No! She unwound herself from the amorous hug, clearing her throat and stepping back a few feet, her cheeks slowly turning pink. He raised an eyebrow, clearly noticing her blushing. She turned her face away and coughed quietly, trying to clear the air.

"Hello, Dean. Long time no see, eh?"

The man laughed, smiling like a fool. Weiss tried not to look. Or stare. To no avail.

 _Oh no, he's pretty. Fucking shit._

"Valean, huh? Hey, I guess when you go to school far away you pick up a new language and forget your heritage, huh _Schneeflocke_?"

 _Fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck!_

Even his accent while speaking Valean was beautiful. She _had_ to look away. His perfect dirty-blond hair, his sparkling lilac eyes, the knife-edge cheekbones. It perhaps wasn't fair.

"No, I can still speak our mother-tongue. Don't fret, Dean-bean."

"Dean-bean? How is it you still remember that name after so many years? Wasn't I always the smart one?"

Weiss giggled and slapped him on the chest.

"My university degree says otherwise, Dean."

"Of course. Shall I buy you a coffee and discuss this degree of yours in greater detail? Or did you have a previous fruit-related engagement?"

She blushed, again. Technically he was correct. But Ruby probably wouldn't be awake for another few hours. She had time enough still to catch up with an old friend.

"Of course you're going to buy me a coffee, Dean. What else are you good for?"

The man laughed again, his adorkable dimples becoming suddenly visible. Weiss pined internally. He offered up his arm to her, and without her control, she latched onto him and allowed him to lead her through the market. A coffee shop came into view around the next corner. Quaint, cute, and quiet. All the things that would have made an excellent date for herself and Ruby. She smiled, realizing that Ruby would have loved this little place. Her smile was whisked away just as quickly as she suddenly realized she was now about to have a date with Dean.

 _Is this considered cheating? I really hope not. I'm not even interested in him!_

It sounded more like she was trying to convince herself of that more than anything else. They sat down at one of the little tables outside, the snow drifting softly down in thick clumps around them. It wasn't cold outside anymore, and the wind had died down significantly. It was cute. It was serene. It was…

 _Don't say it. Don't you fuckin' say it._

...Romantic.

 _Fuck you, me._

The waitress came and collected their orders. Weiss was far too entranced by Dean's gorgeous face and the beautiful way he spoke such fluent Atlesian. She ended up ordering a 'uh, coffee I guess', which garnered another sly smile from her new compatriot. She realized she was staring. She looked away, embarrassed again. She really should have refused his kind offer.

"So what _are_ you doing this far from the capitol, _Schneeflocke_? Visiting family or something?"

Weiss brushed her long silvery hair over her ear, ignoring a few errant curls that had sprung themselves into life because of the lack of shower this morning.

"I'm actually just passing through. We're on our way to visit a friend in _Sterbendorf._ "

He raised an eyebrow at her, sipping from his expensive latte that had materialized before him. She looked down, realizing that her 'uh, coffee' had also been placed before her. She took a tentative sip. It was certainly good. Nothing like the fresh pressed coffee that Klein made her, but a reasonable substitute.

"Who is 'we'? You are travelling with _ein freund?_ "

Weiss stammered.

"Uh, yeah, just me and one of my friends. N-no one special."

 _You lying little cunt. Ruby is your GIRLFRIEND!_

"I see. Perhaps someone… you are dating?"

His line of questioning was both unanticipated and entirely expected. She _was_ dating Ruby. In the last few years, they had been on more dates than probably _her parents_ had, likely tenfold. She really didn't want to think about her parents right now. She hushed the tiny spike of anger that had risen up within her. Her father had been probably the _least_ accepting person of her recently, in a constant state of disappointment with her in recent years. She didn't exactly want to admit to someone she hadn't seen in this many years that she was _gay._

 _Come on. Don't be a pussy. You love Ruby, right?_

"Actually, yes, Dean. My girlfriend Ruby is travelling with me."

Weiss took a commanding sip of her coffee, trying to remain composed. What if Dean suddenly thought poorly of her? His expression had changed for sure. It seemed… accepting?

"Your girlfriend? How lovely! When can I meet the beautiful _fräulein_ who has captured your heart?"

He was okay with it! Weiss had a moment of internal cheering, realizing that Dean had been perfectly fine with her being gay. He was alright. She smiled again.

"Oh, she's uh, back at the hotel, still in bed. She doesn't wake up early. Thought I'd come in to town and buy her breakfast."

"You certainly _are_ worthy of the other nickname dad called you, you know."

Weiss frowned at him, still a little distracted by his beauty.

"Don't say it, Dean-bean. I _will_ injure you."

" _Dummheiten_ , Weiss. Or should I say… Snow _angel._ "

Weiss dropped her now empty coffee cup onto the table. She glared at him to no avail. He was just too pretty.

 _If I had to pick a guy…_

Weiss nearly choked on the last mouthful of coffee, her face turning a ridiculous shade of red. She _really_ needed to have a chat with herself about the appropriate times to make such jokes.

 _Who said I was joking?_

Weiss coughed, trying not to drown on her coffee. Dean made a concerned noise.

"Are you alright, _Schneeflocke_? Should I call for an ambulance?"

She shook her head vigorously, giving a thumbs up to signify that she was alright. She managed to swallow the mouthful of coffee with a great deal of protest from her throat, finally gasping for breath. She panted, trying to look dignified.

"No, no I'm good. Sorry, my brain just tried to kill me. Man, you'd hate to be in my head right now."

"Certainly, _Schneeflocke._ I really hope I'm not keeping you from anything."

Weiss pulled out her scroll. It was six-twenty. No texts, no calls, no emails. She was free as a bird, for a little while longer anyways. She smiled back up at him, allowing herself to be distracted in his pretty eyes once more.

"No, we're good still. I've got time."

Chapter 49

" _All rise for her majesty, Queen Rose, and her mighty Magnum Dong!"_

 _The crowd of onlookers all rose, the sound of shuffling chairs filled the room. Murmurs flowed through the crowd like the ripples in a pond. Ruby wondered why she was looking down over the rather large group of people. Also, why did her bum seem to hurt a little. Ruby looked around. Where was this Queen?_

" _Prepare for the mating ceremony! Bring in the virgins!"_

 _Ruby was now concerned. She looked down at where she was sitting. A throne? Well, that certainly explained why she seemed to be above everyone else. Wait, did that mean... she was the queen? No, it couldn't be. She examined her clothes. The finest silk of red and gold emblazoned the fine black dress she wore. Something shifted on her head when she looked down, and when she reached up to touch it, she found a cold metal ring encircling the top of her head, resting on top of her messy hair. Except her hair wasn't messy. It was expertly coiffed. And the steel ring? Well, when she removed it and held it in her hands, she gasped. It was a crown! Of gold and Rubies!_

" _My lady, you should not remove your crown in front of the peasants!"_

 _Ruby looked over her shoulder at the paige-girl who had addressed her. She had sparkling blond hair and beautiful purple eyes. Ruby's gaze was drawn down to the paige-girl's chest, which seemed to be threatening to burst forth from the rather reserved beige garment she wore. Ruby stared. It was intoxicating. Something stirred in her lower region..._

" _The queen has risen! She is ready for the ceremony!"_

 _What? The paige-girl had so suddenly addressed the populace, exciting an enormous cheer from the crown. Ruby was more than confused._

" _Excuse me? Uh, could you please tell me what's happening?"_

 _The paige-girl turned to her, her large bosoms swaying heavily from the sudden movement. The stirring continued. She smiled, her beautiful blond curls bouncing as she cocked her head sideways._

" _Oh, my lady, worry not! It is mating day! Oh, look! Here comes the Royal Kitten with your concubines!"_

 _Ruby looked where the busty paige-girl was pointing. There stood a second ridiculously gorgeous woman, wearing an all-black leather cat-suit. Images of Halle Berry flashed though her mind, causing more stirring still. The ears on the top of this "Royal Kitten's" head seemed surprisingly real. In her hands was a lead, connected to a string of young looking women, all dressed in almost see-through sheer white dresses. As she expected at this point, there was more stirring below. Ruby sighed. Wait, had the paige-girl mating? But...that didn't make any sense! The ten women were led up onto the stage where her throne sat. They seemed...excited?_

" _My lady, are you prepar...oh my heavens you are! Look!"_

 _Ruby looked down. A huge bulge had tented itself under her dress. Her eyes went wide, and she tried to scream. Except, the noise she made sounded like 'Yes, I am the queen and I am prepared!' Ruby whined. The Royal Kitten purred as she unclipped the lead from the first of the young women, unclasping her fluffy handcuffs as well. The girl, whose face was flush and smiling, was lead up to the foot of her throne. Ruby wanted to yell at everyone._

" _Would somebody PLEASE tell me what's going on? And what is this bulge under my dress?"_

 _The blond paige-girl smiled, her large bosoms bouncing as she walked around to the front of the great golden chair, her hands being rested on Ruby's knees._

" _My lady, it is your Sceptre of Justice! Your Magnum Dong!"_

 _The paige-girl suddenly gripped the fabric and pulled it away like a tablecloth. A chill ran across her legs. The "sceptre" was revealed. Ruby gasped hard enough to choke on the air. A massive, eighteen-inch penis stood nearly fully erect, growing from her pelvis._

" _What the hell is this?!"_

 _The paige-girl tossed the remainder of the tear-away dress on the floor. The crowd ooed and awwed at the sight of the colossal tower of meat. Her hand came to grip around the long shaft. The grip was surprisingly strong...and familiar?_

" _I need an adult..."_

 _The first girl stepped forward, and was guided into position straddling the mighty dong. The poor girl needed to stand up over it, it was so long. She spoke, and her voice was whiny, but smooth. Frighteningly familiar. As was her fluffy ginger hair, and her well-muscled thighs..._

" _My lady, I am ready to receive the power-wiener! May I begin?"_

 _Ruby tried to shout 'No!' at the top of her lungs, but the only sound that came out was 'Yes, child, skewer yourself upon me!'_

 _The blond paige-girl gripped the mighty rod in one hand, stroking gently, and the young ginger's buttocks in the other. The two objects met slowly._

" _Wait, stop, no! You'll be injured!"_

 _There was no waiting, stopping, or noing. The paige-girl placed both her hands on the ginger's hips and forced them down, hilting the girl in one fell swoop. The girl cried out with an ungodly sound, a mix of pleasure and pain all swirled into one. Ruby didn't feel anything, however. She had a front-row seat to the weirdest thing in the world, she thought. She rarely swore, but this seemed as good an opportunity as any._

" _What the fuck is going on here? Like, why am I part of this?"_

" _Yes, your majesty, fill me up with your fantastic member!"_

 _Ruby couldn't move her arms, as they seemed pinned to her side. This girl was very clearly having her insides torn apart by the flesh sword between her legs. Which still had no feeling._

" _I wish to be bred by the queen! Please give it to me, Queen Rose!"_

 _The door to the throne room was suddenly burst open, exploding into a shower of splinters. In rode a knight upon a sparkling white horse, with polished armour and a rapier in hand. The horse came storming up the centre aisle of the room at full gallop, stopping short of the throne stage. The knight shouted out to them._

" _Cease your faggotry, peasant! Remove thyself from the Magnum Dong!"_

 _The ginger did not 'cease her faggotry'. She instead upped her pace. The paige-girl and the Royal Kitten drew swords, prepared to battle the knight._

" _Finally, someone who can help me! Gentle knight! What fucking took you so long!"_

 _The knight jumped from the horse, easily batting away the two women with the long and elegant rapier. In two easy steps, the knight was upon the throne, easily hoisting the whining ginger from her perch on the nerveless penis._

"Ruby, it is time to be up"

 _Ruby looked up at the knight, confused. The voice coming from the helmet sounded feminine. Weren't knights supposed to be all male?_

"Ruby, if you are not up soon I will be quite cross!"

 _Ruby wanted to point out that despite her grievances about the meat cylinder between her legs, she was technically very up indeed. Eighteen inches straight up, in fact._

"I'm serious, I will rub strawberries on your face if you don't get up."

 _The knight's helmet vanished, revealing the identity of her saviour. It was Weiss!_

"You asked for this, Rose-Petal..."

Ruby opened her eyes, to find her saviour, the knight, standing over her bed, wearing a blue argyle sweater and holding a strawberry between her fingers.

"Oh hey, you're up! Want a strawberry?"

Ruby nodded, sitting up and taking the small red fruit. She bit into it. It tasted _fresh._

"I had the weirdest dream just now..."

Weiss had turned her back, procuring two glass bowls filled with yogurt and berries. It looked like strawberries, raspberries, and blueberries. Ruby smiled and accepted the bowl and a dainty-looking silver spoon from Weiss, who sat down on the bed next to her.

"Oh yeah? What was it about?"

Ruby grimaced, taking a spoonful of yogurt. It was _really_ excellent.

"Well, I was a queen. And I think I had a kingdom? But then everything went to shit. It was like _really_ bad fan-fiction."

Weiss giggled quietly.

"Like how bad?"

"Think _Ninja's of Love_ bad. I uh, had a dick."

Weiss actually laughed out loud.


	17. Chapter 17: Jealousy

Chapter 50

"If you had to own just _one_ car, what would it be?"

Weiss furrowed her brow, tapping her fingers against the steering wheel and pondering the odd question. The snow had picked up again, floating down around them in great big clumps. The antique windshield wipers were having difficulty clearing the heavy mass of snow that continued to collect on the glass.

"Odd question. Any guidelines I'd have to follow?"

"This is your _only_ car. You have to drive to work, get groceries, drive to the bank, and anything else you do, including having fun, with only the one car for the rest of your life."

Weiss turned her head sideways at the question, frowning. That question didn't seem fair. She was wealthy! She could afford to buy whatever car she wanted! Ruby crossed her legs just out of view and piped up again.

"Like, if _I_ had to have only one, I'd want something practical and fast. Maybe something like a Hunter Rallye-X, or something. I dunno, I don't really have the income to even picture owning something more expensive than that."

Weiss smiled unconsciously, still more focused on the road than the conversation. She remembered the two hooligan kids from the morning in that atrocious yellow Rallye-X. She looked back over at Ruby. Did she seem like the kind of girl to drive a road-legal rally car? She shrugged. Maybe.

"You know, Rubes, I don't know what I'd want. I mean, the car I already have is pretty good as-is. I wouldn't mind better mileage, but there's really nothing wrong with it. I mean, I _guess_ if we're talking about having more _sensible_ cars, I might be inclined to choose the diesel version of my Klasse-7. Same car, better mileage, you know?"

Her passenger nodded slowly, as if contemplating.

"I mean, my car actually _is_ the diesel version, albeit very modified."

Ruby turned, frowning.

"But you said it was a real GT-Spec, didn't you?"

Weiss shrugged and waved off the question.

"Well, no it isn't. They don't actually make the GT with a manual transmission. You _have_ to buy it with the stupid flipper-paddle automatic, and I'm told by people 'in the know' that they have a tendency to break down. I wasn't gonna spend almost two-hundred-thousand lien on a car that was going to have catastrophic failure of the important bits."

Ruby made a confused noise.

"Then how does yours..."

"Simple, Ruby. What my car actually is is a diesel Klasse-7 that has a heart transplant from a GT-Spec car. It's all the same wiring, and apparently it just bolts right in place. When you know the right people, you can have whatever you want built. So I did. They also had to install the GT-Spec wide-body fenders to accommodate the wider rims and tires. But underneath, it's all diesel car goodies."

"That explains the lack of sport mode. I wondered why your car didn't have that knob."

Weiss chuckled.

"It also means no speed governor. The diesel isn't powerful enough to exceed two hundred and fifty, so they aren't fitted with one. The GT-Specs have a limiter set to two-fifty because government reasons. All Atlesian sports sedans have that limiter. Wait, why am I telling you, you know that."

Ruby nodded again. She seemed a little distracted. Weiss cocked her head sideways.

"Something bothering you, Ruby?"

She shook her head, seeming to return to the real world.

"No, just...distracted. Cars on my mind."

She tapped her temple to enunciate her point. Weiss wasn't convinced.

"You'd tell me if something was wrong, right?"

"Of course, don't be ridiculous."

Weiss nodded, returning her attention to the road. There was a brief silence in the car, lasting only a few minutes.

"So where'd you go this morning? You were up before me, weren't you?"

Weiss shrugged.

"Out. I bought you breakfast. Well, _us_ breakfast."

Ruby nodded slowly.

"Okay."

Weiss was suddenly concerned as the car got quiet.

"I just think it's funny..."

 _Of course. Here we go._

"Yes, Ruby?"

"Well, this morning, you brought me breakfast back from what I can only _assume_ was the market, which, in itself, is a nice gesture. But you came back smelling like cologne."

 _Oh shit._

Weiss dropped her shoulders. Of course this is where this conversation was going.

"Okay, I'll tell you what. I'll tell you straight up, I met an old friend in the market, and we had coffee. Yes, he was wearing an obtuse amount of cologne."

Ruby crossed her arms, frowning.

"You just said 'he'. Want to explain?"

Weiss tried not to snap back at Ruby.

"Yes, an old _male_ friend of mine, Ruby. My friend Dean Celeste, the youngest son of my fencing tutor from _before_ I attended Beacon. He's my best friend, but I would never be able to look at him in a romantic or even _sexual_ way. He's a child to me. So don't overreact."

"Nobody comes back from 'just coffee' smelling more masculine than an actual man, Weiss."

"Look, he was wearing a lot of cologne. There was nothing more than coffee! We even talked about _our_ relationship, and how he thinks you're perfect for me."

"Uh huh."

"Ruby, I am gay. I don't even like men, why are you so bent out of shape about this?"

Ruby went quiet. Weiss suddenly realized she was angry. Why would she be angry at Ruby for _justifiably_ upset over this? She let out a sigh.

"Ruby, I'm sorry for raising my voice. I get it, you're upset that I didn't tell you about him immediately upon returning. I just didn't think it was important. We just hung out for a bit while I was shopping. I'm not going to cheat on you with him. Ever."

Ruby sniffled. Maybe it would be good if she tried to lighten the mood with a joke. So she tried.

"You should be more worried that I'd cheat on you with _Yang._ I mean, have you seen the rack on her, holy shit."

"Weiss!"

Ruby swung her arm out and smacked her on the shoulder, making Weiss laugh. She could see the girl pouting out of her peripheral.

"That's _not_ funny."

Weiss sighed, reaching over and resting her hand on Ruby's arm. Her body flushed as she felt the muscle flex underneath the knitted sweater. It felt like braided steel cable.

 _Oh fuck, I forgot how buff this girl is. Panty status: Soaked._

"It is _too_ funny. The look on your face, Rubes. Priceless."

Her face was fighting to redden. Weiss wouldn't let it. Every single gods-damn time there was a serious moment between the two of them, inner Weiss would try and jump the poor girl. But every time they were _naked,_ inner Weiss would behave. Something was very wrong upstairs.

"I don't like you anymore."

Weiss pouted and pretended to be offended. Ruby's tiny smile betrayed her real feelings.

"You don't _like_ me? Well, how convenient. I don't like you either."

Ruby's tiny smile disappeared, replaced by the look of fear.

"Wait, what? No, that's not what I... Weiss, no!"

"You dolt. I _love_ you."

Chapter 51

Ruby felt kinda bad about getting angry at Weiss. She had been shown a few pictures on Weiss's scroll, and had to admit that he was indeed very pretty. She couldn't quite picture what the reason for her apprehension. Something was just off that day. She could feel a bad omen hanging over the car as they drove. It was probably nothing, but it made her skin crawl.

"Want to play another game?"

Her driver turned a little, a tiny smile across her lips. Ruby's gaze was drawn to said lips. She blushed.

 _Lemme smooch._

"Alright. What did you have in mind?"

Ruby tore her eyes from the inviting lips of Weiss for a moment, hopping up on the seat and grabbing her bag from the rear cargo area. She flopped back down on the seat, fighting with the old zipper on the thick fabric. Reaching inside, she pulled out a brand-new puzzle book and a pen, which she clicked open as she kicked the bag onto the floor, curling her legs up underneath her and rebuckling her seat belt.

"Alrighty, then, what would you like to do? Crossword? Logic puzzle?"

"How about a logic puzzle, Rose-Petal."

Ruby thumbed through the book, turning to a page with one of the puzzles labelled 'medium difficulty.'

"Okay, here's one. It's called _The Three Rooms._ Okay. Here's the puzzle. _You are trapped in a room with no windows. On the walls to your left, right, and directly in front there is a door. Beyond each door is another room with a door to the outside world placed on the far wall. On the left, the room contains a large lion, which has been denied food for two weeks. In the middle, there is a room containing a massive magnifying glass that magnifies the sun's rays to a blistering one thousand degrees. On the right, the room contains an Olympic-length swimming pool wall-to-wall filled with acid corrosive enough to dissolve your body in the time it would take you to cross the pool. You have twenty-four hours to escape to the room, and if you cannot figure it out, the starting room will fill with water and you will drown. What do you do?_ Holy shit, that's dark. Here, look, there's a diagram."

The picture showed the layout of the three rooms, with little labels on them and tiny pictures of the lion, the magnifying glass, and the pool. Ruby studied the diagram for a minute. She could actually hear Weiss's brain working.

"And there's absolutely no way I could skirt the edge of the pool and escape without swimming in acid?"

Ruby shrugged.

"I would guess not. It did say _wall-to-wall._ So I would assume that means there is no lip around the outside. I haven't read the solution yet, so I don't know. Oh wait, there's a hint at the bott-"

"No, don't tell me yet. I want to do it normally first, giggity."

Ruby rolled her eyes.

"Uh, what if we waited out the lion? Wouldn't it die of starvation very quickly, seeing as it hasn't eaten in, what, two weeks you said?"

"That's correct."

The hint at the bottom of the page was about to bring down this explanation.

"Alright, so I'd go into the room on the left, where I'd find the lion either extremely fatigued or dead. It wouldn't be able to maul me or eat me in such a state. Right?"

Ruby tapped the pen against the hint listed at the bottom of the page.

" _To avoid the easy way out of waiting for the lion to die of hunger, imagine that the animal has enough life left in it that it still has the capacity to kill you during the 24 hours._ Sorry, Weiss. No death of the lion."

Her driver tapped her hands against the wheel.

"How about...hmmm. No..."

Even the mighty brain of Weiss couldn't figure it out. This was concerning. Ruby gave it a go.

"How about you pull your shirt over your head and go through the middle room? Then the sun doesn't get you, right?"

Weiss wasn't convinced.

"How hot did you say the room was?"

Ruby checked the rules again.

"A thousand degrees."

"See, even with your shirt up, you'd still be killed by the heat. That's like kiln-level heat, you'd be cooked alive."

Ruby frowned down at the question. It seemed that this puzzle was too difficult even for-

"I got it. How long do I have?"

Ruby was flustered by the outburst.

"Puh, uh... twenty-four hours."

Weiss snapped her fingers, breaking out in a grin.

"Wait for nightfall. Then the sun isn't burning into the room. Final answer."

Ruby flipped to the end of the booklet, and read the answer out loud.

" _Wait for night time, and exit through the middle room when the sun is below the horizon._ I am genuinely surprised that you got that. I would never have figured that the answer was simple enough."

Weiss chuckled.

"Hey don't feel bad. I was trying to figure out a way to employ the heat of the sun to evaporate the acid or something, but then you mentioned hiding from the light. You mostly solved it, I just accidentally figured it out. Neat puzzle. Got another?"

Ruby flipped through the book again, quickly finding another puzzle, this one shorter.

" _A single-celled organism is capable of performing perfect cellular division every twenty minutes. How many copies of itself would be created in eight hours?_ You're good with math, you should have this down."

Weiss looked like this question had barely fazed her.

"Roughly sixteen million. Hang on, still getting an actual value."

Ruby flipped to the back of the book. The answer read _over sixteen million._ Her eyes went wide. How in the hell did Weiss know the answer so fast?

"The correct answer is two to the power of twenty-four, which is _exactly_ sixteen million, seven-hundred and seventy seven thousand, two hundred and sixteen. Sorry for the slow answer, I'm a bit rusty with my maths."

Ruby slammed the book onto her legs, turning abruptly towards her driver, a confused look on her face.

" _A little rusty?_ Are you... there's no way you can say you're _rusty,_ Weiss. You just did a _twenty-fourth_ power multiplication in your _head._ Are you being deliberately facetious?"

Her driver cocked an eyebrow.

"Nice use of the word _facetious,_ Ruby. I'm impressed."

"Am I the _only_ one who notices that you are ungodly intelligent and entirely humble about it?"

Weiss shrugged, again. She was getting an excellent shoulder work out.

"Eh. I have a calculator at my desk most of the time. I don't even have to use my brain at work. You know. Because I work in corporate."

Ruby smiled and exhaled slightly harder than usual.

"That's not true, I'm sure you use your smarts all the time just to show off."

"I only show off to pretty girls, Rose-Petal."

 _Well. You are good with your words._

"You need to shut up."

Ruby rubbed her nose on her sleeve. She still wasn't fully okay quite yet. Something bad still lingered in the air. Maybe it had something to do with the nature of their destination. But now was not the time to worry about that. They could talk about it later. It was just a gathering, right? A tap on her shoulder made her jump.

"Hey, you okay? You look a little upset…"

Ruby turned in her seat. Weiss's face became concerned.

"Ruby, you're crying…"

Oh? Ruby brought her hand up to her face. It came back down mildly damp. She pulled down the visor and looked into the vanity mirror. Her eyes were red. Perhaps she was crying. But she couldn't figure out the reason _why_.

"Is this about _her_? Are you worried?"

Very much so.

"No, I'm ok. It'll be alright. Just a little apprehensive is all."

Ruby tried avoiding the subject.

"How are we for fuel?"

Her driver kept her stern expression. She didn't look convinced. Shit.

"We'll need to pull off at the next exit. Ruby, you're upset about something. I'd like to help you feel better. I'm here for you-"

"Weiss, I'm fine! Jeez!"

Ruby brought her hands to her mouth. That outburst was completely unexpected. She tried to apologize.

"Weiss, I'm-"

A hand was raised. Weiss didn't _look_ upset about the shouting.

"Ruby, it's fine. I am scared too."

Ruby crossed her arms across her chest. If she was scared, she hid it well.

"Look, when we turn off for fuel, I'll buy us ice cream. Maybe we'll be able to take our minds off things."

The mucus in her nose threatened to fall out. She sniffed and rubbed her nose, nodding. Ice cream sounded like a _great_ idea. Even if it was snowing. And cold outside. And not a particularly good day. But it _was_ ice cream. The sound of the turn signal loudly clicking on returned her focus back to the road as her driver pulled the heavy truck into the off ramp. Weiss braked, and the truck leaned lazily forward on its springs as they slowed down up the ramp, coming to a stop at the intersection. Ruby could see the little town out her passenger side window, probably half a click or so down the road. Weiss turned the truck down the road, towards the little nameless town. Even as the big-block motor breathed deeply, Ruby still couldn't settle the bad feeling in her chest. The deep rumble of the engine did little to sooth her. A poke in her boob made her turn.

"Hey. No more Miss Frowny Face. Today's a good day. Alright?"

Weiss wore a weary smile, as if she was trying to convince herself as well. Ruby returned the smile, before turning her lack-of-attention back out to the road. They pulled in to the gas station. Ruby heard the driver door open, and felt the truck's weight shift as her driver dropped out of the tall cab. How could Weiss maintain such a cheery composure? Didn't she know? Eh, she was a business woman, she probably had experience hiding emotion. She sniffed again.

 _Maple?_

She frowned, sitting up in the seat. Something smelled like maple, and it smelled like it was close by. Ruby completely ignored the strange depression feeling in her chest, and moved her face around the cabin, sniffing the air for the source of the smell. See, the main export of the island of Patch _was_ maple syrup, so this sudden smell intrigued her. The sweet scent wasn't the sharp sugary goodness she was used to, however. It smelled a bit like chemicals. She turned her head and looked out the window again. The vehicle in the adjacent fuel bay was a large transport truck, wearing snow chains. Ruby snapped her fingers. Of course! The truck was likely running hot, due to the extra strain the chains were making. The smell was the ethylene glycol in the coolant, which gave off a sweet smell when burning. Ruby smiled and settled back into the seat, content it wasn't a stain on her interior from the enormous bag of candy just behind the seat.

" _Ruby! Unlock your door!"_

Ruby tried not to jump out of her skin from the sudden knocking at the window. She had been distracted again, not noticing that Weiss had walked up to the window and tapped her fingers on the passenger side glass. Ruby let her heart stop thundering in fear for a moment, pulling up on the little metal door lock toggle. She watched Weiss through the window. She had a bag of something in her hand, and the other one had wrapped itself around the exterior door handle. The door was pulled open heavily.

"Hey, Ruby, I bought us som- _OOF!"_

Ruby barely had time to react to what had happened. One moment, Weiss was standing on the truck's running board, and the next moment, she was on the ground, her hands cupped against her crotch. Ruby looked down at Weiss, not sure if she should laugh. She stepped out of the cab and knelt down beside the other woman. Weiss seemed to be in pain. Ruby couldn't _not_ giggle.

"Weiss, are you alright?"

Weiss nodded, trying to sit up, which in itself seemed like an ordeal for her.

"Yeah, no, I'm... _ouch_...alright. I just hit myself in the lady-bits with the door."

Ruby winced, drawing a sharp breath in through her teeth. She helped Weiss to her feet, lifting the girl into the passenger seat. Would that have really hurt that bad? She smiled, closing the big heavy door and strolling slowly over to the driver's side of the truck with the bag of Weiss's snacks in her hand. She grabbed the door handle and tried to yank it open. It didn't yield. Ruby sighed.

 _So this is how the day is going. Alright._

She wrapped her fingers around the chrome handle, and put the whole of her military might into the pull. It creaked open, but not after great protest. Ruby sighed, climbing up into the cab of the truck. She looked over at Weiss. She seemed very uncomfortable, gritting her teeth and trying to look uninjured.

"Are you _sure_ you're alright? I don't think I'd be able to compose myself after hitting myself in the crotch, Weiss."

The girl shifted, sitting with her legs open.

"Funny story. You've seen the scar I have _down there,_ right?"

Down there? Ruby frowned.

"No, I thought your scar was on your eye? Did it migrate? I mean, I can still see it, so I think you're alright."

Weiss chuckled, shifting uncomfortably on her butt.

"I'm surprised you didn't see it in the shower the last two times, dummy. No, I've got a second one, a little lower than my _eye,_ Rubes. I'm surprised you were bashful enough to not look down low."

Ruby was taken aback. Weiss assumed she was brazen enough to take a gander at someone's undercarriage? Preposterous!

"Excuse me?! I would never look at your... lady-bits without you telling me to!"

"You can say _vagina_ " Weiss deadpanned "There's no children around, you know. If you haven't seen it, I can show you, if you like."

Ruby sighed, twisting the key in the ignition and trying to silence Weiss's insolence. The heavy engine growled at the two of them almost instantly, and anyone else standing around them at the gas station. She flicked on the wipers again, clearing the dusting of snow that had collected on the window. She pulled the truck back into gear, crawling forward back onto the street.

"I mean, I guess you can if you want."

Weiss piped up, smiling. She reached down to her waist, fiddling with her pants button and zipper. Ruby heard the clasp come undone, the zipper following it down. Ruby cheeks flared up, realizing that all of a sudden Weiss was taking off her pants in front of her. Wait, hadn't she asked for this? She could hear the sound of Weiss's bum shuffling on the seat fabric as her skinny jeans were pushed down to her knees. The sight of bright pink panties in her peripheral briefly made her shudder, her right leg tensing up and making her foot slip from the accelerator. Weiss giggled, clearly noticing this subconscious reaction.

"Have a look, Ru."

She looked over, seeing that Weiss had pushed the hem of her underwear down almost past the erogenous area with her thumbs. There it was, the aforementioned scar. It was shaped like an upside-down 'L', only a few inches long, extending up from what Ruby assumed was right at the top of Weiss's happy place, just up to a few inches below her belly-button. It looked like it had hurt _really_ bad. Like, getting cut in half by a beowolf was one thing, but an injury to the most sensitive area? Gosh. The area was a little red from the impact from the door.

"How did you manage _that_? Did you get in a knife fight with a chair? Crash on your motorcycle?"

Weiss laughed, pulling her panties back up over the scar. Ruby noticed that she had left her pants around her knees.

"You're close with your second guess. It was my bicycle, not my motorcycle."

Weiss rubbed her nose with the back of her hand.

"So, I must have been like six or seven, and we were on vacation in Vale during the summer. No, I would have been six for sure, because that was the summer we took Whitley's training wheels off his bike. Anyway, not important for the story. So. We were riding our bikes around this little town, with Winter babysitting us, and all was well. Oh, if you want your ice cream, it's in the bag there. It's just the _Drumstack_ brand stuff."

Ruby tried to ignore the bright glare that was coming off her passenger's pale white mirror-smooth legs. She reached into the plastic bag with the fuel station logo, pulling out one of the two paper-wrapped cones and opening it with her teeth. She took a bite. It was pretty good.

"And we found this long hill. Winter warned us that we shouldn't go down it on our bikes, and that it would be safer to just walk our bikes down instead. Of course, being a little shit child, I decided she was nuts, so I started to ride down the hill."

Ruby blushed.

"Was it fun?"

There was a snort.

"Oh, fuck yeah it was. So about halfway down, I decided that maybe I was going too fast. So instead of braking slowly, like a sensible person might, I just squeezed the brakes as hard as I could."

Ruby smiled. That sounded very much like a Weiss thing to do. Overreact.

"So, like, did you flip over the handlebars and land on something?"

Weiss gave her a face that seemed to indicate that this would have been the preferable outcome.

"God, I wish. I might have only scraped up my knees that way. No, my brakes decided that that was the day for them to completely break at the welds and come off of the frame. Needless to say, the brakes of a bicycle are a bit useless when they aren't attached to the bike."

Ruby winced, despite Weiss's cheery expression.

"Did you die?"

Weiss chuckled.

"Yes, I died very bad. Seeing as my brakes were now out, I could not stop going down the hill and I was picking up speed rather alarmingly. Now, a normal kid would have put their feet down and tried to stop like that, but not me. I decided that driving onto the grass would make me slow down, so I drove onto the grass, which only slowed me down a _little_. I spent the whole ride down looking down at the frame. So I didn't see the mailbox."

Ruby nearly jumped.

"Mailbox?!"

"Yeah, it jumped out into the road and hit me. At full speed. Which became full stop _really_ quickly. My bike stopped, and my body kept going forward. My pelvis impacted the handlebar stalk like a sledgehammer. It left the gash that you have now seen, and was quite badly swollen for like a week. I was on some _seriously_ hardcore anti-imflammatories just so I could use the washroom properly. And now I've got this dinky little scar on my vagina. Neat, huh?"

Ruby nodded, trying to push the image of having a steel bar shoved painfully into her lady-area. It did seem neat.

 _How about we kiss the scar later?_

Aaaand the redness was back to her cheeks. Ruby pushed out _that_ thought as well, trying her very hardest to focus on the road ahead of them. The snow had picked up again, as had the wind. A good distraction from the not-unwelcome thoughts of her passenger's sex. Was it okay to think about that? It must be! They were in a _moderately_ sexual relationship now, so, shouldn't it be well within the bounds of a relationship? She had caught herself thinking about Weiss in a fairly sexual manner a few times in the last few years. And by a few times, she meant once or twice a _day._ Like, pretty much every time she looked in the mirror at home, she had pictured herself reflected back with the older girl's arms around her waist. Usually naked.

 _Stop it! Behave yourself! You're not a pervert!_

She felt like a pervert. Maybe what she really wanted was someone she could be like that with... The last few days with Weiss had been heaven-sent. There had been nudity, cuddling, making out, boob-touching, and everything she didn't realize she needed! Ruby blushed. Maybe what she needed was...

"Ruby! Stop the car!"

Ruby was torn from her fantasy by a loud shout.

"Stop! Look!"

Ruby mashed the brake pedal into the floor, and the truck lurched forward on its springs like a sea-saw. When the heavy vehicle had been brought to a stop by the antique anti-lock brake system, Ruby looked where Weiss was pointing. Just on the edge of the road, straddling where the white line would have been had there not been snow coating the road, was a large strip of bright yellow steel, bent over at each end like a bench.

"What is that thing?"

Weiss was already reaching for her seatbelt and the door handle. She jumped out into the blizzard, dashing to the large object. Ruby flicked on the hazard lights and front auxiliary lights that were bolted to the front brush guard. The highway in front of them was now flooded with light as she too stepped out onto the highway and walked over to Weiss. She was mumbling something as she knelt down in front of the object.

"Please don't be what I think you are, _please don't be what I think you are..."_

"What is it, Weiss?"

"Ruby does this look like a car part to you?"

Ruby glanced over the object. It was about five foot wide, only a foot high, and was very clearly made of carbon fibre. It actually _did_ look like a car part.

"Yeah, it kinda looks like the wing of a third-generation Rallye-X. Wait, now I think I see where you're going with this."

She looked around, but could barely see through the snow.

"Do you think someone crashed?"

Weiss too had been looking around now, jumping up from the ground and dashing off the highway and into the ditch. Ruby briefly lost sight of Weiss, who had disappeared into the ditch. She heard a scream. It sounded like Weiss. Ruby dashed forward towards where the yell had come from. As she trudged through the snow, something horrifying slowly came into view. A bright yellow car sat in the snow, some thirty feet off the road, partially buried in the bank. Upside-down. It was missing many of its body panels, and what was left was badly mangled and broken, like a neglected soda can. Weiss was kneeling down beside the window, looking in.

"Looks like the seatbelts were cut with a knife or something. All the airbags are out, too."

She examined the crash sight. I looked fairly open and shut. Judging by the distance from the highway and the impact marks in the snow, the small sports sedan would have been travelling upwards of a hundred and sixty. Not a problem for the turbo-charged pocket rocket, which on dry pavement would only have been just over _half_ the car's top speed. It looked like a simple bit of recklessness, where the driver was probably testing his car, and hit a thick patch of snow that bucked the car sideways, where it dug in on the left side and rolled at _minimum_ three times. A normal car, like a Sanus Fission, would have likely been torn in half and crushed completely at such a high velocity.

"It looks like they were extracted professionally, actually. There's evidence that the glass was broken with a tool and the door frame was pried open. Man, this car must have been moving at quite a clip. What do you think, Ruby?"

Ruby couldn't speak. She knew that Weiss was being extra serious when she addressed her by her name. She was completely speechless as she looked over the crash. There was no evidence of a fuel leak, luckily, but there was great deal of coolant and oil everywhere, littered in the snow.

"Do you think they're alright?"

Weiss paused, still examining the interior.

"There's no evidence of blood on the fabric. Looks like they were held in by some kind of cage. Did these cars come with them?"

Ruby shook her head, no.

"Hmm. I'm feeling a little better, then. There's a race car cage in here. The snow is all matted down around here, so I would assume they made it out all right. Man, I just saw these guys this morning."

Ruby nearly jumped.

"This morning?!"

"Yeah, they were in town, joy-riding. Looked like fun, actually. And now look. Shitty day for everyone, huh. I guess there's nothing we can do here, anyway. Let's just keep going."

Ruby let out a sigh of relief. Knowing that the occupants of the car were even protected a little made her feel a little better. But seeing a car crashed off the road this early in the day made her very worried. It made the bad omen from earlier return in full force. The walked cautiously back up to the road where their truck was parked. Ruby glanced down at the wing that had been ripped off in the crash, deciding to move it off the road before climbing back up into her vehicle and setting off again. The door crashed heavily against the frame as she climbed into the driver's seat once more.

The feeling lingered.


	18. Chapter 18: Confidence

Chapter 52

Weiss doodled in the corner of her puzzle book. She hummed absently to herself a little tune that Klein used to use to get her to fall asleep when she was a child. _Für Elise, s_ he thought she remembered. The last hour or so had been generally uneventful since they had left the crash site. The snow still fell, fluffy and thick. She stopped doodling, observing her work. A little girl in a dress, a big smile, and a huge scythe. She blushed. _Oops._ She had doodled Ruby. Again. Ugh, this was what she kept doing in the corners of her documents at work. She rolled her eyes at herself, slapping the book down on her lap.

"What's up, Weiss-cream?"

Okay, that was certainly an improvement from her previous attitude, she thought. Ruby's voice had a noticeable cheerful chirp to it. Much like she was used to. Weiss faked a sigh, turning in her seat.

"I accidentally doodled you again. I'm really sorry."

Weiss liked the way Ruby laughed. She liked the little squeak she made when she inhaled. The way the edges of her mouth crinkled upward. The way her... _Oh god, I'm in love again._ Her face went scarlet red. She turned her attention out the window, not wanting to make eye contact.

"What, this is a common occurrence for you? That's kinda freaking adorable, Weiss. Can I see?"

Weiss blushed, covering her smile with her hand and handing over the puzzle book. It left her hand, the papers shuffling in Ruby's fingers. Weiss glanced over, catching Ruby's smile out of the corner of her eye. Ruby snickered.

"That's me? Damn, I'm adorable! You're a very good artist, Weiss-cream."

Weiss scratched the back of her head nervously.

"Y-yeah but only on doodles of you in my work. I'm fairly certain that about twenty-percent of documents submitted to my finance department have little pictures of you on them."

Ruby laughed again, damn her. She grabbed her puzzle book back.

"Ever draw any nudes?"

Weiss turned fully red.

"Ruby! No! D-don't be absurd! I would never be so crass!"

She was lying. A lot. And it seemed like Ruby knew by the amount her eyebrows became suddenly raised.

"You hesitated. Weiss, are you a pervert?"

Weiss pursed her lips and looked away. Ruby's interrogative tone was _much_ too adorable for it's own good. She crossed her legs and lay her palms upon her knees.

"Maybe."

"Do you _enjoy_ nudity?"

Weiss cocked her head sideways.

"Well, yeah obviously. I spend most of my time at home naked, so I think I enjoy it a little. Oh, and pretty much any time you call the house and I answer, I'm naked."

Ruby _eep'_ d. That had certainly garnered a reaction.

"Are you _serious?!_ Don't you live with your parents and your brother?"

"Correction. They live with _me,_ it's actually my house, in my name. They have their own wing of the building, and I have mine. So I spend a lot of time walking around without my clothes on. If they catch me, that's their prerogative."

They chuckled together, remembering the accidental flashing of Whitley they had done the other morning. Weiss sighed, smiling.

"Yeah, I don't really spend a lot of time without my clothes, Weiss-cream. I just don't ever really feel comfortable in my skin, you know?"

Weiss nodded, looking over at her driver.

"I understand, Rose-Petal. But, if I might interject, you are absolutely _astonishing_ without your clothes on. Like, I remember when we were just starting at Beacon-"

Ruby cut her off.

"You mean when I was fifteen? Weiss, I was a kid then."

"Don't interrupt me, Ruby, I wasn't finished. As I was _saying,_ I remember little-you being adorable as fuck, and now adult-you is all sexy and buff. Puberty hit you like a runaway train, Ruby."

Ruby blushed, and frankly, Weiss did too. _Much_ harder. She had never really been this forward with anyone before.

"Y-you really think so?"

Really. Did Ruby just _not_ own any mirrors? Like, at all? And every single one of her compliments on her gorgeousness had just gone ignored? Wow, rude.

"Are you implying that you aren't aware of just how sexy you are, Ruby? Because seriously. Given the opportunity, I would look at you naked _all the time._ You know? Like, I know that my own body is a little unimpressive..."

She pulled up her shirt and poked herself in the stomach. The tiny amount of tummy flub she had squished under her finger. She could feel her gymnast's abs still under there, but years of coffee and chocolate muffins in her office had let her fill out a little. But only a little, as she kept her workout routine fairly regular.

"...but I don't think I'll ever be as physically attractive as you are, Ruby."

Ruby pined, blushing.

"N-no, Weiss, I-I don't think so. Y-you're pretty attractive, I think. Much more than me."

Weiss crossed her arms.

"I'm not contesting this, Ruby. You are a hundred and twenty pounds of 'I'd like to do sexual things to you' and stuff. Wait, I tell you what. You said you're not comfortable with nudity?"

Ruby shrugged, blushing. Like, her whole face, right down her neck and into her hoodie was now red.

"W-well, when I'm at home alone. I've been more naked with you than I have been in awhile, and that's a big improvement for me, actually."

Weiss nodded, fiddling with her bra's strap over her shoulder. The damn thing wasn't adjusted correctly. She had bothered to adjust _Ruby's_ undergarments earlier that day for her, after she had noticed that the poor girl seemed to be uncomfortable in her clothes.

"Ruby, I have an idea. Are you comfortable with being naked around me?"

Her driver shrugged, paused, then nodded.

"I think I am. We have been naked together before. _And_ we've taken showers together, the last few days notwithstanding. Why do you ask?"

Weiss turned sideways in her seat, smirking.

"What if we were to get naked _right now_? And just kinda hang out in the truck with the heat turned up? Sound like fun to you?"

Ruby laughed. Weiss's eye twitched. Did this girl have to be both sexy _and_ adorable? It just wasn't fair.

"Weiss, we can't be naked right now! I'm driving! Isn't there some kind of law against that?"

"Nope. Provided you keep your shoes on, it's fully legal. Being inside a personal vehicle counts as private property, so public nudity laws are moot. Driving without shoes is still illegal in this country for some stupid reason, however."

Ruby's face indicated amused confusion.

"How and why do you know these laws? Do you _often_ drive naked?"

Weiss shrugged.

"From time to time, usually late at night. Like, actually, there was this time I was out at like three in the morning in my Sanus Motors _Rinkhal_ convertible, driving around with the top down, and being a nuisance without my clothes on."

Ruby laughed. This was good. A happy Ruby was a healthy Ruby, she thought.

"You really hate clothes, don't you?"

Weiss nodded excitedly.

"Yep. Clothes are for jerks. So do you want to get naked with me?"

Her driver looked over at her, a warm and honest smile on her face. It had been a little while since she had seen the patented Ruby smile being used. It reminded her that one of the few things that made Ruby happy was her perverted jokes and snide remarks.

"Absolutely, Weiss-Cream. I would be honoured to disrobe with you."

Weiss clapped her hands together cheerfully. She reached over to the centre console, turning the heater knob all the way up. She unbuckled her seatbelt, reaching down and pulling off her boots, gently placing them on the floor of the truck's cargo area. She looked over at Ruby.

"Would you like me to go first, or do you want to?"

Ruby pursed her lips and pondered.

"I think I'd prefer you to go first, if you don't mind."

Weiss plopped down onto the bench, smiling broadly.

"I really don't mind! Hey, feel free to watch. I do owe you for the other morning, after all."

Ruby seemed to be in a perpetual state of red. She was really trying to focus on the road it seemed. Weiss giggled, hooking her hands under the bottom of her hoodie and hoisting it above her head. The white and blue garment was tossed behind the seat. She moved her hands immediately to the rim of her rather tight and low-necked t-shirt, pulling it up to just under her breasts. The underwire of her brilliant pink bra stuck out at the bottom of the shirt now. She glanced over at Ruby, a smirk on her face. The other girl suddenly turned away, _glowing_ red. Weiss could feel the heat in her own cheeks as well.

 _Ha! She's a pervert too!_

And there was Inner Weiss, front and centre again! With a silent laugh, Weiss grabbed her shirt again and pulled it all the way off, fighting momentarily with her excessively long hair through the opening at the top. She sat for a moment, sans chemise, folding her shirt neatly, before placing it, too, behind the seat. Her hands came to her pants button, easily pulling it and the tiny zipper fly open. She lifted her bum, forcing the tight skinny jeans down her legs to her knees, pausing for a second. Another quick glance at Ruby made her chuckle. The poor girl was almost steaming out her ears. Weiss sent a sultry wink her way, hoisting her legs up onto the bench seat. She pulled at the cuffs of her pants, forcing them over her ankles, fighting the tight denim fabric down her calves. The pants came off, and she tossed them over her shoulder and onto the back seat. She sighed, sitting for a minute in her bright pink undergarments. She looked over at Ruby. Still blushing.

"Your turn!"

Ruby laughed nervously as she slid over to her on the seat. Weiss reached down and grabbed the laces of her driver's combat boots, pulling them loose with ease. Ruby's legs complied, lifting up and letting the boots get pulled off. Weiss placed them on the floor, as she knew she needed to give them back in a second. Ruby giggled above her.

"What happened to 'driving without shoes is illegal', Weiss-cream?"

"Well, I can't get your pants off without taking your boots off first, Rose-Petal."

"Are you trying to get my pants off, or something?"

Weiss sent her an evil smile, grabbing her waistband with her hands.

"Bum up!"

Her driver complied, lifting her hips off the seat. It was much easier to slide off the girl's loose-fit jeans off her wide hips than it was her own. Weiss lifted each of Ruby's legs, sliding the pant legs down off them, leaving the girl now pantsless. Weiss looked at the legs presented before her. They were mildly tanned, and _extraordinarily_ well toned. She had an awful idea. Ruby's legs were still open slightly. She leaned her face way down, placing her head between the glorious legs.

"W-Weiss, what are yo- _ohhh..."_

Ruby's voice hitched the _instant_ she placed her lips upon the inside of the right thigh. Weiss whipped her head back up, her long silver-white hair flipping around and landing on her back. She observed her driver, who was now shaking a little.

 _Good. Give in to your feelings of pleasure, apprentice._

Weiss laughed, smiling. She leaned her face over and placed an affectionate kiss on Ruby's right cheek. The girl swooned.

"W-Weiss why?"

"Becaaause I can. Now. Off with your top!"

Her driver shivered with what she assumed was pleasure. Her _own_ body shivered with pleasure. Getting the opportunity to strip in front of Ruby was certainly exhilarating.

"C-can you hold the wheel?"

Weiss complied, grabbing the edge of the wooden wheel with her left hand, keeping it steady. She watched the road out the windshield, keeping Ruby in her peripheral. The other girl was _violently_ red as she hoisted her favourite red hoodie up over her head, tossing it behind the seat. Ruby returned her hands to the wheel, and Weiss slid herself back over to her side of the bench, re-fastening her seatbelt. Ruby made a noise.

"S-so are we g-going all the way, or..."

 _And further, if my luck holds._

It was Weiss's turn to blush. She wiped the coy smile from her face, turning back over to her driver.

"Do you want to?"

The girl's face _glowed_ red, but she nodded, her fluffy brown hair flopping over her face.

"Y-yes I do."

"Alright. Bras first, Ru. We'll do it together, alright?"

The girl nodded again, her hands coming up to the front clasp of her rather dull looking grey bra. Weiss leaned forward on the seat, her hands finding the rear clasp on her own considerably more vibrant garment.

"Ready?"

Ruby nodded.

"Okay, three...two...one...go!"

Weiss unclasped her bra, and it slid from her shoulders and down her arms. She looked over to Ruby, who was holding the wheel straight with her knees, and had unclasped her own bra, her considerable breasts heaving forward out of their cramped confines. She gestured to her, collecting the grey garment from her and placing them both behind the seat. She looked back over at the now permanently red-faced girl, who nodded at her head slowly. They both hooked their thumbs into their waistbands. Weiss kept her eyes on Ruby's legs. Her heart fluttered.

"Okay, go."

And down went the lacy fabric, over her knees and past her ankles. She shivered. She was now fully naked, and after a quick glance over at Ruby, she knew that she was, too. Her heart raced. She felt so _free._ As naked as they had got in the past together, including in the last few days, had always been in the dark, or in limited light situations. She looked over at Ruby, who had put her combat boots back on. It gave her an idea, again. Hopping up on the seat, Weiss reached into the cargo area and slid one of her bags over, flinging the zipper open and lifting the top. She reached inside, grabbing a pair of black leather boots of her own, tossing them to the floor. Ruby had finished lacing up her boots at this point as Weiss forced her own feet in her high-cuffed and very stylish boots.

"There. Now we're even. How do you feel, Ru?"

" _Very horribly exposed."_

Weiss chuckled, a warm smile coming to her face.

"Are you uncomfortable? This was more just to be funny than to make you feel-"

"No, I'm good. I'm just not used to being naked outside of the shower or my bedroom. Like, even at Dad's house or at the barracks I don't ever get one hundred percent naked."

Weiss mused. Sliding over on the wide bench and pressing her hip against Ruby's, placing her left hand on the well-muscled thigh of the younger _goddess._

"So how do you feel? Still anxious?"

The girl shrugged, her permanently red face breaking out into a small but noticeable smile.

"W-well, a little excited, actually. You aren't offended by the scars, so I'm already more comfortable around you than some of my squad mates. A-and you've already shown an interest in me-"

It was Weiss's turn to cut Ruby off.

" _Obviously_ I am interested in you, dolt! You know, I'm convinced you're messing with me now, like, how do you _not_ know that you're that fucking hot."

Her girlfriend squirmed in her seat, clearly still anxious about being naked. Weiss squished herself closer to her friend, placing one arm around the girl's shoulders and the other around her stomach. She traced slow circles across the pink scar tissue on Ruby's otherwise ab-tastic tummy.

"Ever measure your figure?"

"Uh, I have to to get my uniform fitted."

Weiss paused, waiting for Ruby to understand what she was asking. Annoyingly, she didn't. Weiss poked her in the boob, making Ruby squeak.

"Wanna tell me? I'll tell you mine!"

Ruby shifted, reaching up to scratch herself on the collar.

"Uh, thirty-eight, twenty-eight, thirty-eight. Oh, and uh, thirty-four at the frame. The military tailor told me I have a 'perfect hourglass figure', which I doubt. Why, what are you?"

Weiss blinked a few times. That figure _was_ a perfect hourglass. And yet Ruby had the audacity to deny it. Gosh.

"Thirty-two, twenty-eight, thirty-two, and thirty at the frame. I am quite a bit slimmer than you, you know. Also now I have empirical proof that you are hot. You just described the perfect hourglass figure."

"But I'm all muscular and stuff. And the sca-"

"Don't say it. The buffness is making my panties soaked. You're unfathomably sexy."

"But you're not wearing any..."

Weiss paused mid-giggle. She looked down.

"Oh."

 _You're on your own from here, Me._

"Sorry about your seat, then."

Chapter 53

"You enter into the cave, and you notice that you are shrouded in darkness very suddenly. You notice that there is a tiny stream that runs along the bottom of the cave, no wider than a foot or so, and no deeper than a few centimetres. What do you do?"

Ruby tapped the steering wheel, thinking. They had been questing in _Dragons and also Dungeons_ for the past hour or so, and they had only made it to the second page of the quest booklet. As she was playing by herself, she was playing it very safe.

"Can I roll for perception?"

"Go for it."

Ruby tapped her scroll, and the little twenty-sided die app tumbled a virtual dice block a few times, before it settled on the number fourteen. She checked her perception modifier, satisfied that it was _plus three._

"I rolled a seventeen."

She could hear Weiss shuffling the booklet's pages as she rooted around for some more information. She hummed quietly.

"Right. That's good enough for me. So you have a look inside the cave, and see that just down out of the light's reach there are two goblins. You see that they are armed with short swords and light armour."

Ruby reached up and scratched the exposed skin just under her left boob, blinking idly.

"Can I roll for stealth?"

"Of course!"

She tapped the dice app again, and it tumbled around for a moment. Ruby sniffed, rubbing her nose with her hand. She glanced over at Weiss, who was reading through the game manual, her long, luscious, delicious, inviting...

 _Focus on the road._

...legs crossed, and her frameless glasses on her face. She seemed deep in thought. The app _bing_ 'd at her, indicating that it had finished rolling the virtual die. She took a glance at it, begrudgingly tearing her gaze away from her _nude_ passenger. The app read _twelve._

"Yeah, not so sneaky. The goblins have noticed you, and have now run over to you. Roll for initiate, Rubes."

Ruby sighed, reaching down and tapping the app again. It cycled a few times, before landing on _nine._ She sighed again, dejected. Weiss took the scroll from the seat, and gave it a few taps, picking up her pencil with her left hand and scribbling down a few numbers on her note pad to indicate each of the goblins' initiate number and hit points. Ruby tried to sneak a glance, but clearly her dungeon master was smarter than she was, and had already leaned the notepad away, placing it on the far side of the wide seat.

"Alright, so goblin A attacks first. I'll roll for attack."

She tapped the app, changing the dice set to a pair of ten-sided dice. It tumbled for a minute, before landing on _eleven._ Weiss grabbed her character sheet, removing eleven of the available health points.

"You're up next, actually. Here."

Ruby took back the scroll, placing it on her thigh. The metal back slapped against the exposed skin, a little cold. She prodded the screen, selecting the single eight-sided die and setting it for a tumble. It stopped on _eight,_ and with her modifier was _thirteen_ total. Weiss's eyebrows raised from behind her glasses, scribbling down some more numbers on the notepad. She reached over and tapped the screen again, tumbling the pair of ten-sided dice again. Ruby tried not to shiver at the closeness of Weiss's hands and her _very naked_ inner thighs. She shivered anyways.

"Okay, you've been attacked again, and you now have eight less health again. These goblins have shitty attacks, jeez. I'll let you roll again to attack, even if it's out of turn."

Ruby rolled again, landing on a total of _twelve._ Weiss hummed cheerfully, scribbling in the notebook again.

"Alright, goblin A is now dead, and goblin B is now on the attack. Lets see, he hits with _four_ attack. You're up next."

Ruby tapped the scroll. It landed on _thirteen,_ the maximum for her current weapon.

"Yep, goblin B is now dead. You stand above the two dead bodies in the cave. You're free to act as you please."

"Pickpocket them, if I can."

Weiss nodded, reading the manual again.

"On the two goblins you find a total of thirty gold and two short swords, which you may keep and resell if you please. But you don't have to, if you don't wanna."

Ruby nodded, humming her agreement.

"I'll certainly take the gold."

Her dungeon master scribbled the changes onto her character sheet for her. She put aside her notebook and her game manual. Ruby turned her head to the right, watching her passenger fiddle with her seatbelt. She slid over.

"Weiss, what are you doing?"

"I had a thought, and I want to have more pictures of us on my phone."

She held up her scroll, the front-facing camera opened up. Their faces came up on the screen. Ruby caught sight of the roundness of the top of her breasts in the image. Her face went visibly red.

"W-wait, Weiss, we're naked still! We can't take pictures of that!"

She had little time to react or say anything before Weiss had pressed they hips and faces together closer, snapping a few pictures. Ruby conceded, smiling up at the camera. Her passenger slid back to her side of the truck, smiling down at her camera's gallery and flipping through the pictures.

"Hey, I got all of our tits in this one. I'm setting that as my lock screen."

Ruby sighed.

"Do you have to be a pervert all of the time, Weiss-Cream?"

The woman nodded, her boobs jiggling a little from the movement of her head. Ruby shivered and looked away.

"Yes, literally always. You know why, right?"

Weiss slid back over on the bench and wrapped her fingers around her right breast. Ruby blushed, instinctively pushing her chest into Weiss's hand, as the coldness of her fingers made her shiver.

"Wh-why's that?"

Without looking down, Ruby could feel Weiss's fingers start to trace slow circles on her boob. It was certainly increasing her level of 'comfort'. A quick smooch was placed on her cheek, turning her face a vibrant shade of red again. Her heart threatened to hammer itself from her chest cavity.

"Because I _looove_ you."

And now it had. _Great_. She tried to distract herself by making idle conversation.

"So, uh, d-do you wanna talk about sports?"

She heard Weiss's laugh pick up again. She clenched the steering wheel a little harder. How _dare_ she have an adorable, lyrical laugh! How dare! Her face was certainly heating up again. What a cruel fate indeed.

"Ruby, why are you so adorable?"

Any harder and her fist was going to crush the wheel into dust. Weiss had an abundance of sweet things to say at any given moment, and it was giving her heart palpitations, damnit! She reached over and cranked the heat up as high as the dial would turn, trying to alleviate her shivering. A long and pleased sigh came from the passenger seat.

"Shut up. You're making me feel things again."

She caught glimpse of a smirk out of the corner of her eye.

"Good things?"

 _You don't even know the half of it._

"S-sorta. More like gushy-lovey things."

"Are you horny?"

 _Oh for fuck's sake._

"What! No! Weiss! Stop being so weird!"

More laughter. Her knuckles were white at this point. Unfortunately, Weiss was right. She knew she was _supposed_ to like how she was feeling, but she still couldn't bring herself to fully get comfortable with enjoying it.

"Okay, whatever you say, Rose-Petal."

 _Fuck it._

"Alright fine, yes I'm horny, geez. Are you happy now?"

Ruby huffed, turning her attention out the driver's side window. There was a momentary silence in the cab. The awkwardness was _thick._ She shot a glance over to Weiss, who had now sat upright, her head back and her legs crossed. Her face was just as red as her own.

"W-well if that's the case I'm sure we can remedy that at the next rest stop, Ruby."

Her hand unconsciously twitched, and the steering wheel's tilt-telescope lock mechanism snapped from the force of her arm twitching upwards. She yelped, as the wheel was suddenly dangling freely in the column, and she fought to keep the truck in a straight line. Lucky for her and her _annoyingly alluring_ passenger, the steering shaft was still connected, as otherwise they would currently be in the ditch. Probably on fire. Ruby thought her face was _already_ on fire as it was. Weiss made a concerned noise as the truck rocked back and forth under them.

"What the hell was that?"

Ruby chuckled sheepishly, glad she could finally mask her sexually charged woes under a real issue.

"Oh, the uh, the steering column's come off of the dashboard. I guess it was finally time for it to break, eh?"

Once the truck was travelling in a straight line again, her passenger spoke up, a little annoyed.

"Well. Fine time for it. I'm a little upset that my mechanics didn't pick up the metal fatigue when they did that detailing yesterday. Huh. I guess you can't expect much when you pay someone _ninety-grand a year_ to do one fucking job. What would have happened if we were travelling any faster?"

Her arms crossed across her chest. Ruby _obviously_ couldn't tell her that it had been a subconscious reaction to her previous suggestion, especially considering that she wanted to accept the invitation.

"It's no issue, I can fix it while we're driving. Can you grab my tool box under the seat?"

Weiss nodded, leaning way over on the seat and sticking her head underneath. Ruby took this opportunity to copiously check out her passenger's delectable body. The snow had let up a little and the sunlight was shining in through the passenger-side window, reflecting off of the mirror-smooth skin on the woman's back. Ruby's eyes followed the sculpted curves further down. Her eyes found a bum.

 _WAAAAA HOLY SHIT, THAT ASS!_

"Ruby, please stop staring at my posterior and drive the broken car."

Her attention snapped back to the road. How did she know?! Her head was still under the seat! Witchcraft was afoot! The seat bounced with a clunking noise, and Ruby turned to see that her _holy shit, still naked_ girlfriend had hoisted the heavy red toolbox up onto the seat and had cracked it open. She held a Phillips head screwdriver out in her hand.

"Scalpel?"

Ruby smiled, holding out her own hand and keeping her eyes on the road.

"Zip-tie, actually. One of the big ones if there are any left. Maybe two."

Her hand was suddenly filled with a warm, squishy and round shape, with a little protruding bump that pressed against the pad of her hand. Her brow furrowed, and she pursed her lips.

"This is your boob, isn't it?"

Weiss cooed her answer.

"Maaaaybe!"

Ruby gave the breast a playful squeeze, exciting a loud chirp from the boob's owner. Weiss recoiled, jumping back to her side of the bench. It was her turn to be coy.

" _Now_ can I have those zip-ties?"

Three corrugated plastic sticks were placed in her hand, and she quickly made them into a single long zip-tie, stringing them together like a chain. She brought the new master tie up under the dash, fidgeting around with it, and holding the column up against the dashboard with her knees. When the long tie was in what she hope was the right place, she pulled them all taut, zipping the column up against it's broken bracket. She gave the whole thing a wiggle. It was on, if a little bit sketchy.

"Fixed it?"

Ruby nodded, smiling.

"Yeah, I did. I learned that trick in one of my dad's old hot-rodding magazines. You're supposed to do that when you're painting the interior floor pans to keep the wheel from touching anything in the cab, and I guess it works here too."

She blushed as Weiss leaned over the middle of the seat and gave her a kiss on the cheek, her delicate hands cupping her face.

"My hero!"

Ruby shrugged it off, giggling.

"Naw, I'm no hero, ma'am. I'm just your average citizen, looking out for the public, you know?"

There was laughter all around. Weiss jumped back up on the seat and leaned over into the cargo area, and Ruby could hear her shuffling around in the candy bag. She glanced to her right, and her eyebrows shot upward. Weiss's nude posterior was within a foot of her head. She had an evil idea. She leaned her body over and placed her mouth right next to the lovely, shapely, perfect bum.

"You better not kiss my a- _YOWCH!"_

Ruby giggled through her teeth, pulling them off of the pale white rump. Weiss dropped her butt onto the seat, frowning comically large.

"You meany! Why did you bite me?!"

"Because I love you?"

Weiss opened her mouth to speak but quickly closed it. She sat down deeper in her seat, crossing her arms over her bare chest.

"I guess you win this round. Wait, what's that smell?"

Ruby frowned. There was no smell. She gave the air a few sniffs anyways to humour Weiss.

"I don't smell anything..."

"No, no. It smells like the gas station. Which is weird because it doesn't smell like fuel or sweaty truckers. It's like...cotton candy?"

Ruby took another strong sniff. Now she smelled it. Her heart stopped.

"That's certainly not a good smell. I wonder if..."

She checked the gauge cluster, looking specifically at the temperature gauge.

 _Oh fuck!_

Two hundred and fifty degrees. Her heart leaped into her throat. That was considerably too hot for regular running. She could smell it _now._ The ethylene glychol in the coolant was burning, and the heater fan was pushing the smell into the cabin at full force. Ruby very quickly popped the transmission lever up into neutral, and dropped her hand to the ignition key, shutting the motor off. The large vehicle continued to roll forward at speed, and her hand fell down under the dashboard to the two chromed pull handles that sat up under the wood fascia panel. She gave the first one a yank, and it pulled all the way out. She tried the second one. It was stuck. She gave it a few more yanks, but it refused to budge.

"Oh..."

"Oh? Oh what?"

Weiss sounded very worried. Ruby sighed, pulling the truck to the side of the road and stopping, holding a shaking hand out to Weiss.

"Pants."

"Uh, sure. Do I need some too?"

Ruby was too worried to make any jokes, despite the many opportunities that pantsless gave. Her loose jeans were placed into her hands.

"Yeah if you don't want to freeze. Hoodie?"

She pulled her pants on over her boots and her legs, neglecting any underpants. Weiss dropped the red hoodie into her lap, and Ruby could see her pulling off her boots in the corner of her eye as she pulled the hoodie over her head and bare breasts. She hopped up on the seat, pulling her coat and scarf up off the floor of the cargo area. She slid her arms into her sleeves, zipping up the excessively long zipper. She wrapped her scarf around her neck. She looked over at Weiss.

"Get your coat on, We're going outside."

"Wait, what happened to the truck?"

Ruby said nothing as she pulled the handle on the door. It creaked open. She dropped down on the ground, her boots sinking into the snow. She reached up under the dash, yanking the hood release latch before slamming the door shut. She tried not to shout as she powered around to the front of the truck. She climbed up onto the bumper and lifted the hood. She fell off the bumper as her face was suddenly shrouded by steam. She coughed loudly.

"Hey, are you okay?"

Weiss was now standing next to her in front of the truck, her body tightly wrapped in her white coat and her flannel pyjama bottoms. Ruby sighed and climbed back up the bumper, gesturing for Weiss to follow. The vehicle shook, indicating that she had. She opened the top on the coolant overflow tank. It was completely full. She sighed, replacing the cap and screwing it tight. She looked down at the back side of the radiator grille.

"Well. That explains it."

Weiss smacked her on the arm.

"Explains _what?_ Ruby, please tell me why we're parked on the side of the road and why you're all worried?"

Ruby pointed at the little steel flaps that sat between the grille and the radiator itself.

"The cooling flaps are stuck shut. The engine overheated. And it smells like coolant quite bad, which means that it's actually burning. So something is wrong with this engine."

"Is it broken for good?"

She shook her head, rubbing her slowly freezing nose with the sleeve of her coat.

"No, no. We'll just have to let it cool off first. It will probably need a bit of service when we get home, but it will be fine for now. The head gaskets are probably a little singed."

"Cool off? Should be pack some snow in the engine bay?"

Ruby's concerned expression broke for a moment.

"Well, we could, but the temperature shock would crack the engine block, and then we'd have real problems. And I can't afford to replace this engine."

"So what do we do?"

Ruby shrugged, dejectedly closing the hood.

"We wait it out. It should take no more than an hour for the engine to acclimatize again."

They climbed back up into the cab, and Weiss seemed overly upset by this new setback. Ruby couldn't bring herself to be upset by this.

"An _hour?_ Ruby, we're going to be late for the party! I'm calling for a tow truck."

She slumped down in her seat, listening to Weiss pull out her phone. She sighed.

" _Hallo. Können Sie bitte einen Abschleppwagen unserer Stelle schicken? Autobahn vierundzwanzig, Meile neunundneunzig._ _"_

Ruby looked over. She guess that Weiss was calling her contact at the RAA. This was certainly not how she wanted her day to have gone. First the maybe-boyfriend thing, then the car crash, and now _this?_ She was not excited about the feeling in her gut now.

" _Na, ich mochte nicht ob sie mit anderen beschäftigt sein, schick mir einen sofort! Nein, keine Entschuldigungen_!"

There was a silence. Wiess had a very angry expression on her face.

" _Danke. Verdammt Scheiße_."

Ruby smiled lazily. She enjoyed the way that Weiss's accent was soft, yet commanding in the way that she verbally abused people in her native language. The car was getting cold in the cab. Her breath was now starting to condensate in front of her face. Weiss angrily tossed her phone up onto the dashboard, hopping over and snuggling close. For warmth? Eh, probably. Ruby slung her arm over her girlfriend's shoulders, pulling her close. The lump of shivering under her arm started humming _Für Elise,_ quietly and softly. She sighed.

She was really not excited about their destination now.

Everything was crashing down around them.

It was a bad omen.

And Ruby hated it.


	19. Chapter 19: Arrival

Chapter 54

 _It's date night. You're prepared. Or, as much as you can be, given the circumstances. You really don't want to do this. You take one more look at yourself in the mirror. Your dress, baby blue, hangs straight and low around your ankles, the little white lace border around the edge gracing the tops of your toes. Speaking of which, you still aren't sure whether these are good enough. You sigh, turning in place to look at your own backside. You frown. Some of the excessively long white pony tail falls onto your rump. A quick flick of the neck sees it back around your shoulder._

 _You hate your hair._

 _It is much too long for your liking. But Father insisted. You scoff. Why should he have any control over you? You're twenty-five, for gods' sake. No one should tell you what to do. Your scroll lights up on the dresser. You look down at it, idly. It's your father. It makes you want to growl and throw your scroll through the window. But you don't. It was a gift from your best friend. The memory comes back. Ren's a nice boy. He gave this to you for your birthday. It's only a prototype. You elect not to break it._

" _Are you coming, my little Snowflake?"_

 _You turn your attention towards the door. It's Klein, knocking softly on the other side of it. Your mouth turns up at the corners. Your butler is sweet. He brings you coffee in the mornings, and makes sure your pillow is properly fluffed before bed. You step away from the full-length mirror, picking up your scroll from the dresser._

" _Yes, one moment" you say, moving towards the door. You stop at your makeup cabinet for a second, having one last look at your over-saturated face. You grimace at yourself. There is too much foundation. Your pale white skin is far too even. Oh well, not enough enough time to fix it now. You look down at the counter top. Your smile spikes up again. You see that you have left your stuffed doll there. You pick the little toy or your favourite cartoon character,_ Valerie the Redeemer _up. Her blonde velour hair is soft against your hand, and her little black felt jacket has a small splotch of dust on it. You smile, placing her back down on the table. You sigh, your chest falling._

 _Your hand meets the door handle. Another sigh. You turn the handle, and step out into the hallway. Klein is there, his moustache turned upwards, evident of his smile underneath. His eyes are sapphire this morning. You smile at him. You like Klein the most out of all the staff in the house. He basically raised you. More so than your actual father. He extends his elbow for you to take. You loop your hand into the crook of his arm, allowing him to lead you down to the grand staircase._

" _Watch your step, my lady. I wouldn't want you to slip down the stairs."_

 _Klein is a good butler. And an even better friend. He guides you down the stairs, to the main entrance of your house. You affirm this in your head. The manor belongs to_ you. _This is your house. You own it. Your substantial wealth is what has allowed you to purchase this grand mansion. You see your father standing at the base of the stairs. His arms are behind his back, and his white suit is almost plastic-looking, it is so smooth. His face is twisted into a frown, you notice. Klein's arm slips from your grasp as you reach the bottom of the stairs. Your father turns his frown towards you._

" _Why must you always take so long, daughter mine. Don't you know that we are on a tight schedule?"_

 _Your curtsy is almost automatic to you. It would be, after twenty-five years, after all. Your gaze is down at his feet, not wanting to make eye contact with your own father. But he really isn't your father, now is he. He's just the previous owner of your company. You feel his hand under your chin as he forces your face up to look at him. His frown beneath his moustache increases, you notice._

" _Damnit, girl. Your face is atrocious." He says, turning your face from side to side, examining it. "It looks like you didn't even try. Are you actively trying to ruin my reputation?"_

 _Your shoulders droop. You had been in that damn chair for nearly three hours, with the most abusive makeup artist that ever lived. You realize that your eyelids still hurt from the eyeliner application. You decide to call the tears in your eyes a result of this, and not how you feel about your father._

" _My apologies, sir. Next time I will do better." you say, knowing that he will be disappointed anyways. You hate having to call him sir around the staff. Even though the house_ and _the company belong to you, and not him. He still asserts his dominance over you at public gatherings. You feel relieved as he releases your face. He points to the door._

" _Go. Now hurry up."_

 _You feel his hand push against your back, directing you to the door. You stumble for a second, your tall, glass-like heels a bit too tall for your liking. Your ankles briefly try to collapse, but you remain upright. You check yourself, and you see that you have not stepped on the hem of your dress. This is a good thing, as the dress was the near side of a hundred thousand lien, and it was custom-tailored. You are escorted out the front door. There is a large black limousine waiting for you in the laneway. The rear door is open for you, and one of your nameless, faceless butlers is holding the door open. You dislike that it isn't Klein as you get in the car and put on your seat belt._

" _Parents, am I right?"_

 _You jump, not expecting there to be a second person in the car with you. A glance to your left reveals the source of the voice. A young man in a well-fitting suit sits beside you, an honest look on his face. He's certainly not unattractive, you think, looking over his face. His chin scruff is well trimmed, his cheekbones are quite sharp as well. You might even consider him cute. You smile at him, nodding._

" _Yeah, I guess..." you say, making eye contact. Your cheeks darken as you look into the golden orbs that seem to be miles deep. His soft blue hair is slicked back against his head. You even begin to think that for once, your father has made a good choice for you. You turn your attention away from this boy for a moment, looking out your window. The shops of the high street whip past. The car begins to slow, coming to a crawl in front of a very fancy looking establishment. You frown, as the name seems to stand out to you. You're not sure why, but it seems familiar..._

 _Ruby's._

 _You don't notice the door opening in front of you. A hand is held out for you to take. You're flustered, but you take the hand, letting yourself get pulled from the car. Your heels sink into the red velour carpet that has been laid out on the sidewalk. The glow from the restaurant's lights shine down on your face, and you instinctively shield your eyes with the back of your hand. Except your hand is stayed half way up as the boy takes your hand in his arm. Your heart flutters as you are lead inside. Everything is moving so quickly. A chair is pulled out. You sit down. A leather-bound menu is placed before you. You open it. A haze fills your eyes._

" _The name's Henry. Henry Marigold. I like your dress."_

 _His words are sweet, and they flow off his tongue like honey. You don't even bother reading the menu. Something seems off about this Henry character, but you can't quite place it._

" _So I think we can structure it like this..."_

 _Your head cocks up from the menu. A good change, since the only words on the pages is_ love, _over and over, in big red letters. Structure what? Like what? Your eyes go wide as you begin to realize. You see that his food has already been delivered. He picks up an apple, taking a large bite from it._

" _Sho..." he starts, swallowing his apple "I'll move the production investment in northern Vacuo to West Atlas. Boost the lower margins, you know?"_

 _You are shocked. Your menu falls from your hand._

" _Are you...making financial decisions for_ my _company?"_

 _He nods, his smile fading and his apple dropping to the table._

" _You're mistaken. I'm making choices for_ mine. _And I'm thinking of a name change, too. Marigold Energy Corporation. SDC just doesn't have a nice ring to it, don't you think?_ "

 _You shudder, completely taken aback. He's smirking at you, his expression commanding and assured. You feel almost scared. The company still belongs to you! How dare he make such a callous suggestion._

" _The SDC remains in my control, Mr. Marigold." you say, trying to assert yourself. But your voice wavers, and you are unable to finish the statement. His look becomes commanding._

" _No."_

 _It's the only thing he says as he stares you down. He picks up his napkin and wipes his mouth off, tossing the dirtied cloth to one side._

" _No, Weiss, you will be at home, taking care of our children. A woman like you, while thin in the hips, I'm certain that you'll make a good homemaker."_

 _You slam your hand to the table. You are angry._

" _This was all for the money, wasn't it? You sick bastard, you will never get my company, and you will_ certainly _never get me."_

 _He scoffs, looking away at a waitress in the background._

" _You don't get it, do you? Do you know why you never found anyone on your own?"_

 _His voice is suddenly different. There are words, but his mouth is not moving. They are coming from inside._

" _Did you really think anyone loves you because you're a good person? Because you aren't. You will never be loved. You will only be a by-way to the company. My company, now, anyways."_

 _You want to scream, but you can't. Your throat is tightly shut._

" _It's always about the money."_

"Weiss, wake up."

The world she was trapped it warped away with a jolt. Weiss looked around her surroundings. There was no restaurant, there was no red carpet, there was no Henry _fucking_ Marigold. There was only a large garage workshop, a big red truck with the hood up, and the single most beautiful woman she had ever seen in her life. It made her smile.

"Hello, Ruby."

The girl in question stepped down off the front bumper of her truck, striding slowly over to the work bench at the side of the shop. She was wearing a black _SDC_ branded shop apron over her hoodie. Weiss could see that Ruby was still not wearing a bra underneath. Inner Weiss briefly told her to look away. She obliged, looking down at her knees. Her copy of _Knight's Brigade_ sat pages-down on her leg.

"Bad dream?"

Weiss flinched. She didn't want to talk about it just yet. She sat up a little straighter in her chair.

"No, no. Just vivid."

She didn't want to lie to Ruby. Her own insecurities were stronger than her own internal morals, however. As if she could see right through her, Ruby frowned in her direction. It made her feel like shit, lying to her like this. Even after the incident involving _him_ , and the scar as well, Ruby had immediately opened up about her problems, even if they plagued her like an infection. But Weiss could not bring herself to talk about this problem.

"So what's wrong with the truck?"

Her companion's knowing frown broke and she hoisted a small black part above her head, a big smile on her face. She bounced her way over from the work bench, holding the part out before her. Weiss took it in her hand, and it was heavier than she had anticipated.

"That's the vacuum pump. Looks like it blew a seal and wore out."

She turned the little pump over in her hand. There was pieces of gasket all over the middle of the part, and she could see two of the studs were sheared off in the housing. She handed it back to her friend, who tossed it at the work bench. It landed short, clattering against the polished concrete floor.

"What does it do?"

The mechanic huffed, shrugging her shoulders.

"It creates vacuum pressure to operate the radiator cooling baffles. They open when the engine gets hot, and close when it cools off, in order to make the front of the truck more aerodynamic."

Ruby could barely keep a straight face saying that last part, she noticed. No wonder, as there was no way that a few little steel squares would make such a large brick of a truck more aerodynamic. Her tone seemed chipper nonetheless.

"Looks like the pump wore out this morning, making the cooling fins lock shut. Three hours with no airflow over the rad, and boom. Overheated. I grabbed a new one, and it bolted right in place. Should have no problems now!"

Weiss nodded, concerned.

"Two questions; one, will the truck be fine, and two, where did you get a replacement for such an ancient motor?"

The girl seemed to smile even brighter. Gosh, maybe this was her happy place. Screw the radio station, she should be working in a hot-rod shop.

"She'll be fine, Weiss-Cream. Nothing a little tune-up won't fix. And actually one of your technicians here gave me this pump. Apparently the same pump is used in the _DXR-_ series tractors."

Weiss smiled herself. The workshop they were in wasn't just a mechanic's shop, it was the overhaul and repairs shop that sat on the grounds of the manufacturing plant for the SDC _DXR_ tractor. Years back, Weiss had realized there was a market for Atlas-built farm and commercial equipment, so she had invested in the creation of her own line of tractors and heavy-duty trucks better suited to the harsh Atlesian climate than the green and yellow _James Doe_ tractors made in Vale.

"Yeah, one of your techs alerted me to the fact that the DXR uses the same four-fifty cubic-inch big block as my truck, so he grabbed me a new pump. Said it was your idea to use them or something like that?"

Weiss smiled and stood up from her chair, tucking her book under her arm and walking over to where Ruby stood, next to the comparatively small red truck they had arrived in that afternoon. She scratched the back of her head, trying to remember.

"Yeah, I think it was my idea. I remember there being a bidding war between VHI and Chevron for the contract. It was either this motor or the Chevron big block."

Ruby looked at her accusingly.

"Why not use a diesel engine? More torque, and more running time between tune-ups."

She shook her head, guiding Ruby over to one of the large silvery-white combine harvesters that sat with it's access panel open to the world. She pointed at the motor that sat inside. It was connected to a large green cylinder with a bunch of cables coming off one end.

"Because for one, the VHI diesel wouldn't fit, it's too long, and two, the motor isn't actually turning the wheels. The DXR combine harvester is actually a hybrid, the motor turns an electric generator, which needs to spin at fourty-five-hundred RPM for maximum electrical efficiency. Plus, I remember you once telling me that the most reliable part of any old VHI was always the engine."

Her companion nodded, tilting her head to one side.

"That's true, these motors should run forever. But instead of using a gearbox to increase the engine speed on a low-revving diesel you went with a carbureted v-eight?"

"They're not carbureted, they _do_ have fuel injection. You know, like on top of the intake injection? What's that called?"

Ruby pulled off her safety glasses and tucked them into the collar of her apron.

"Throttle-body injection."

She snapped her fingers, making Ruby jump a little.

"That's it. All the tractors we make are global emissions compliant, so until they start demanding we use hydrogen fuel cells, old-school big block power it is. Hey, it works, so you can't fault me. Wait, where are you going?"

Ruby had already disappeared around the front of the large combine harvester. Weiss followed her around. She was stood there, staring up at the place where the cab should have been, a very confused look on her face.

"I knew something seemed off about these things Where does the driver sit? Why is there no cab?"

Weiss smiled at her.

"Simple. They're autonomous. No driver, no operator, just a big computer. See all the sensors along the front? It uses those to map the ground and the surroundings, and it will always cut a perfectly straight swath thanks to a super-precise GPS."

Ruby still looked confused as she placed her hand on the front of the large machine.

"Yeah, but... what about like a Farmer's Union, or something? doesn't this take away jobs? Aren't people upset about this?"

Weiss waved her hand dismissively.

"These tractors are not for sale to the general public. Most of the food you buy at the market or get in a restaurant is fresh from a farm somewhere nearby. But things like, say canned beans, those come from factory farms. Farms that are literally too big to be done by a farmer in a regular tractor. Robot tractors can run all day and all night long, and can be refueled by robot trucks. Robots don't need to take breaks, and that kind of constant production means that food prices can be kept low."

Her companion nodded, seeming to be content with that explanation. The SDC also made regular tractors that were not autonomous, but they were made in a different factory on the other side of the country. It was actually quite convenient that they had been brought to this specific workshop, as the smaller tractors didn't use the same VHI engines as the autonomous ones. She had only told the tow truck driver to take them to the closes SDC workshop, and this one had been conveniently the closes. She looked over at Ruby, who was looking up at the large robot in awe. Weiss smiled, and poked her in the tummy.

"It'll follow you around like a puppy if you want it to. That's how they are moved around the warehouse here."

Ruby's _unfathomably beautiful_ eyes lit up.

"Really?! Weiss, can we get one?!"

She chuckled.

"Only if you feed it and walk it everyday, and pick up it's swath."

Her companion whined comically. It made her smile.

"Aww. I can't afford to feed it, and I might be strong, but I don't think I'd be able to lift the swath of one of these machines myself."

Weiss laughed. Even after having to fix her broken truck, and knowing that the destination was close by, she still kept a cheery attitude. It made Weiss smile as well. She really was perfect.

 _Nice tits, too._

Weiss closed her eyes. Business as usual, then.

Chapter 55

Two hours left. That's when they would arrive at the 'party'.

Not that there was going to be any celebrating.

 _Focus on the road. All will be well._

She shivered, gripping the wheel a little tighter. Weiss had elected not to drive for the last stint on account of the truck's possibly damaged motor. So it was up to her to drive them to their destination. Every fibre of her being was telling her she didn't want to go. That she needed to turn around and go back to the bungalow. Ruby hated what was at the destination.

"I don't think I'm prepared for this, Weiss."

Her passenger lifted her head off the door panel. There was a small creak as the weight of her head came off the wood. She made a little humming noise.

"I don't think anyone's prepared for this, Ruby. Not even _her_."

Ruby tried not to think about it. For the past two months leading up to this day, she had been quantifying the road trip as them going to a party for Pyrrha. A celebration, of sorts. A party. But that's not what it was. Pyrrha was going to be the centre of attention, for sure. The only reason she had been excited about going on this trip at all was that she would be spending time with the once person who she actually loved. Weiss made her happy. She had distracted her from the feeling of sorrow that the destination promised. But the closer they got, the worse she felt. And it was eating her insides.

They both loved Pyrrha. She was their friend, their ally, and now she was the source of their sorrow. Today, Pyrrha was hosting a party. That's how she had kept herself from crying herself to sleep every night.

Pyrrha was sick.

She could certainly recover. She was strong. Invincible, even. That's what she had been called. Her nickname, Ruby remembered. 'The Invincible Girl', who was the school's champion fighter, and one of the brightest students. She was encumbered by a silent disease, however. Something they all didn't want to talk about.

" _Don't worry, Ruby! It's now about how strong you are on the outside, or how much you can bench press, or how many battles you win. It's all about how strong you can be on the inside. Can you be strong for me, Ruby?"_

The words reverberated through her head like bowling balls in a paint shaker. It was what she had said to her during the attack on Beacon. Her hand gripped tighter against the steering wheel, remembering the way the much taller warrior had gently embraced her shoulder before dashing away into battle. The way she had acted in that fight had been so inspiring that it made her get up from the hole she had been hiding in and take charge in the counter-attack. She had been so scared, and so incredibly frozen in place. But Pyrrha had been there. She had helped her to not feel scared anymore. Her overwhelming ambition had made her stronger than any other huntsman or huntress ever. And it had given Ruby new life in her bones. She had been given strength enough to pick up her scythe and cleave her way right to the front lines.

This was the partner of _the monster_.

And she was invincible.

Ruby always thought that Pyrrha would be able to overcome her sickness. She had to. There was no way that a person who could beat Yang in a spar _daily_ would be beaten by a simple illness. That would just be unfair. She knew she needed to admit it now. As long as she had fooled herself in thinking it was a party they were going to, there was no avoiding it. They were on there way to _Sterbendorf_ to visit Pyrrha in the hospital.

She had been there for the last month and a half.

Ruby felt trapped. For years she had looked up to the Invincible Girl. She had kept her rookie card in her wallet from when Pyrrha had been an active Huntress in Mistral. Long nights had been spent thinking about Pyrrha, and the hopeful dream that she would be okay. She had to be! She was Pyrrha freaking Nikos!

She looked over at Weiss, who was sitting idle with her head against the window. Her eyes were closed, and there was no sign of her usual smile on her face. Maybe she was thinking about their friend as well. She distinctly remembered Weiss having a rather obtuse crush on Pyrrha during their Beacon days. A hint of a smile dared surface on her face. She remembered the dance, and the usually-outspoken Weiss being completely useless in asking the much taller woman to dance. The way she had stumbled over every single word in the relatively simple phrase of 'would you like to dance with me' had been like watching someone pour a bucket of ping-pong balls down a staircase. It had been quite amusing, she had remembered.

Weiss had eventually scored herself a dance with the demigoddess, and after complaining about Neptune stepping all over her feet, managed to ruin Pyrrha's favourite heels. The redheaded fighter had simply laughed it off, though, saying that Weiss's ability, or rather lack thereof, to dance had been repayment enough. The good thing she could glean from this was that Weiss was _always_ into girls. She had good taste.

She sniffed a tear back. Once again, the simple thoughts about Weiss had lifted her sour mood, if only a little. Maybe she liked how she felt.

Maybe.

But Pyrrha's illness was all-consuming. The happy feeling was gone again. It sucked, like a hole in her heart, seeing her friend stuck in the hospital because of something she had no control over. Pyrrha hadn't asked to be sick. She hadn't asked to be the most coveted girl in the whole school. And she certainly hadn't asked to wind up as the centre of attention in such a negative light. Ruby let out a dejected sigh. It was almost over.

Another glance over at Weiss. She was staring out the window, her head resting against her balled-up jacket. She hummed at her, making the girl turn in her seat. Their eyes met for a second, and Ruby briefly forgot what she was going to ask.

"Uh, how much further now?"

Her passenger glanced away, taking the scorching baby blue gaze with it as she looked down at her scroll on the seat. She frowned.

"Next exit."

It was said with such solidarity and closure. Like it was the end.

But she had already decided that it wasn't the end. Pyrrha was stronger than she was, and she could certainly beat any illness. She knew she had to be strong. That's what Pyrrha wanted from her. The exit approached. Ruby hit the turn signal and manoeuvred the large vehicle into the rightmost lane. She slowed up the ramp, coming to a slow stop at the end of the ramp. This was it. The end of the road trip. They had arrived in _Sterbendorf,_ as dictated by the sign at the top of the hill.

The city of Sterbendorf was the west-most city on the continent of Solitas, right along the coastline. It was home to nearly two million people, and had been there for something close to three hundred years. A historic city, with cobblestone streets and tight market squares. It looked like it had been ripped right from the pages of Weiss's favourite Medieval novel series. Driving through the city streets made her feel like she was horribly out of place. She shouldn't be here. The heavy truck shuddered over the cobblestones.

"Next right, Ru."

She tried not to jump. All of her attention had been on her friend, and she had briefly forgotten where she was. Weiss was now sat up on the seat next to her, scroll in hand. She directed them through the city, past a considerably long line of shops, each one of them closed and locked down. She glanced at the clock. Seven-forty-five. It was late, and the sun was almost down past the horizon. The snow had stopped a while ago, now, and everything was coated with grey. A large building loomed into view at the end of the road they were driving down. She saw Weiss pointing at it in the corner of her eye.

"There it is..."

And there it was. The facility. The hospital that was imprisoning Pyrrha. She brought the truck to a crawl, pulling into the parking lot. Her hands were shaking as she pushed the gearlever up into park. Her hand fumbled around on the column for the key. She missed a few timed, before finally twisting the chromed mechanism and silencing the leviathan motor. And now, they had arrived. She slumped back against her seat, not wanting to move. There was a clicking sound of the adjacent seatbelt being undone. She looked over to her right side. Her heart nearly exploded. Weiss had her hair down. She only ever did that when she was upset. She was rubbing her eye.

 _Kiss her._

Ruby mashed her thumb into the clasp of her seatbelt. Her body was moving without her control as she moved her arm over to her passenger's shoulder. She turned the girl to face her, and the piercing blue eyes looked surprised.

The warmth on her lips made her eyes drift shut. Her hand brushed against Weiss's cheek, pulling her closer. Her girlfriend retracted momentarily, but was quick to reciprocate. Ruby's body was moving against her command as she shuffled closer, brushing her hips against the other girl's on the middle of the wide bench seat. She wanted more. She broke the kiss for all of half of a second, swinging her left leg over Weiss's lap, sitting down upon it.

The passionate lip-love only increased from here as her hands slipped into the silky white locks upon her seat's head, drawing the girl's jaw up into her own. She briefly tasted salt on her upper lip. They separated for a moment. Weiss stared up into her eyes, a look of both confusion and lust permeating her gaze. She could see the single solitary tear trail that tracked down Weiss's right cheek. _That's right_ , Weiss didn't cry from her left eye since her _own_ run in with a Grimm. A smile broke on the girl's face, and in the light of the evening glow, Ruby thought she was the most beautiful woman she had ever seen.

"Well that was certainly unexpected... I think I appreciate extra-kissy Ruby, Rose-Petal."

She was poked on the nose, and the reference to her favourite nickname made her blush a little. How was it that Weiss was able to make her feel better _every freaking time_ she was feeling bad? She smiled down at her. Maybe Weiss would make a good mother, much like Ruby's own. Her heart panged as it made the connection to her late mom. Weiss opened her mouth to speak again, but she wouldn't let her. She needed to feel good again.

"So are you ready to go ins- _mmf!"_

She caught her lips again in her own, screwing her eyes shut. She was trying as hard as humanly possible to not cry all over the rich girl's expensive jacket lapels. Her whole body shivered as she felt Weiss' fingers trailed up and around her neck, rubbing against that sensitive spot she had just behind her ears. A tongue brushed gently against her lip, and she subconsciously opened her mouth a little and accepted its entrance. Pleasure washed over her. Her left hand dropped from Weiss' head to her shoulder, before sliding around her back, drawing the shorter woman's torso closer and hooking her elbow behind the neck. Two eager hands slid up her back under her hoodie, but didn't travel any further around. Ruby pulled her lips off of the still rather inviting ones of the lovely Weiss.

No words were exchanged at this moment in time. Just the serenity of the cab of the truck, isolated from the world. In here, there was only kissing, there was only love. She smiled down into the right cheek of Weiss, feeling her own tears dropping slowly along her face. It was time. They had to go inside, now. She slipped off of her girlfriend's lap back onto her side of the bench, reaching over and opening her driver's door. They stepped out into the parking lot of the facility.

The air was crisp, but still, and the snow had long since ceased falling. The ground still had a light dusting from the afternoon, and the other cars in the lot sat lightly buried. The large building loomed at the other side of the lot, intimidating her down to her bones. She stopped moving forward, and Weiss stopped along side her, looping her skinny arm into the crook of her own.

"I'm not ready yet."

Weiss nodded, leaning her cheek on her left shoulder.

"Take your time, Ruby."

She shivered. Weiss rarely called her 'Ruby' anymore, reserving it for emergencies. She needed a distraction. Looking around the lot, she could identify some of the other guests' cars.

 _VHI Stormer Detective Special, belonging to Blake. Five and a half litre eight cylinder, i_ _t's got cop tires, cop suspensions, cop shocks._

The large black police car sat closest to them. She wondered if she had driven with Sun, or if one of the other cars in the lot was his. She couldn't remember what he owned for himself. Not that it was important. Another car stood out to her in the lot.

 _Late nineties Hunter Terminal GT-S. Two and a half litre six-cylinder dual sequential turbos, three hundred fifty horsepower, four-wheel-drive and four-wheel-steering. I don't recognize that car. I wonder who owns it."_

The car had a little 'U MAD, BRO' sticker on the rear trunk lid, below the car's obnoxiously large rear spoiler. Probably some punk kid with good taste in sports cars. The next car in the lineup she _did_ recognize, was a little silver coupe with it's flip-up headlights extended.

 _That's Ren's Hunter XR Coupe. Late eighties, two litre triple-rotor pistonless engine, two hundred thirty horsepower. I like this car. He let me drive it once. Why does he always leave his headlights up?_

The little silver coupe sat almost shadowed by the larger white Hunter coupe. It still looked good, even after all these years and all these miles. Her heart thundered. She needed to stop avoiding the inevitable. Looking at cars was doing nothing to calm her mood.

The door approached. Or rather, they had approached the door. The sign bolted on the front of the building loomed above. It was written in Atlesian, but she didn't need to ask Weiss what it said as she gripped the long chrome door handle. She knew. It was time to go inside.

 _Western Atlas Cancer Treatment Facility._


	20. Chapter 20: That Good Night

Chapter 56

" _Paging Doctor Jones and Doctor Free to the ER. Doctor Jones and Doctor Free, ER."_

The building was cold. She shivered, pulling her coat tighter with one hand. Ruby's hand was tightening around hers as well. The only sound in the hallway was the soft sound of the central air system and the quiet, soft voice of the lady on the intercom. The lobby of the facility was fairly large. The linoleum floor under their feet was exquisitely polished, and every chrome chair in the adjacent waiting room was as well. She frowned. In such a sorrowful day, she had distracted herself by examining the furniture. What a horribly selfish thing to do, she thought. They approached a large circular desk, which sat in the middle of the lobby, canopied by an enormous artsy light. An older-looking woman in pale green scrubs sat behind it, focused on her computer screen. She looked up as they approached, her hazel eyes sunken and tired. Weiss spoke first.

"We're uh, here for visitation?"

Shit. It wasn't supposed to sound like a question. Her eyes shifted sideways, trying to break the gaze of the receptionist, but her eyes were like lasers.

"I'm sorry. Visitation is closed today. Hours are between seven and seven. You'll have to leave."

Weiss twitched. She certainly didn't _sound_ sorry.

"B-but my friend is here, and this is when she asked-"

The woman stood. Weiss became suddenly silent, which was unusual for her.

"Visitation. Is closed."

Weiss scrunched up her face, clamping down on Ruby's hand. Her hand came up to her face, pressing her thumb and index finger against her temple. Maybe she should call Sandy again. She smiled coyly, opening one eye and glaring at the receptionist. She seemed confused by the smile. Good. Maybe she should buy the facility out from whoever owned it and personally fire this woman in front of everyone. She pointed her index finger across the desk at the woman.

"I'll have you know-"

Ruby cut them both off.

"We're here to see Pyrrha."

That was all she said. Weiss stood there, mouth agape, still glaring. Ruby hadn't actually raised her voice above a whisper, but it had been enough to clear the tension in the room. The receptionist's face visibly softened, sitting back down. All of the venom in her voice was gone now.

"Of course. Third floor, room three-twenty-one."

Ruby pulled her away from the desk. All the better, she thought, glaring back over her shoulder at the receptionist. The elevator door opened in front of them, and she was dragged inside, into the cramped steel box. It felt like a cage as the doors closed behind her. Ruby was being unnaturally quiet, she noticed.

"You didn't have to shout..."

The sorrow in her voice was all-consuming. Weiss sighed, wrapping her left arm around the girl's shoulders. She knew how she felt. The same damn way, actually. Ruby's shoulders sagged under her arm. The door _bonged_ and opened up, revealing a long pristine hallway, with the same white linoleum floors and pistachio green bulletin boards as the lobby had. A little gold plaque on the wall listed the room numbers. Rooms three-zero-one to three-three-zero were to the left.

"C'mon. This way, Ru."

She guided them out of the elevator and down the left hallway. Her boots were _cacophonous_ against the flooring, and the noise echoed through her ears like gunshots. She was shaking, and she could feel Ruby's hand get noticeably tighter around hers with every step they took. It was actually beginning to hurt a little. She could see a light coming from inside a room up on the left of the hallway. Was this the room? Was this the cell they were keeping Pyrrha? Her steps faltered as someone inside the room laughed boisterously. A familiar laugh, actually.

" _...and then I was like WOOAAHH!"_

More laughter from inside the room, and it made her stop walking forward. Someone inside the room coughed loudly and the laughter died down, becoming concerned mumbles. This time, it was Ruby who stepped forward and pulled her towards room three-twenty-one. They approached the door, which was ajar. Ruby placed her hand on it, but could not bring herself to push it open. It was obvious she was scared, and it radiated through her hand and up her arm. Her heart raced as she too placed her hand upon the thick faceless door. She tried to push it open. Yet it refused to yield. She tried again.

It opened.

The light was blinding to her. It burned through her eyes like a laser. She didn't want to open them, lest she see something depressing. Something warm embraced her. The room felt welcoming, somehow, despite the reason for them being there. Okay, now it was no longer welcoming. Now it was much too strong.

"Hey guys! They're here!"

There was a shouting in her ear. She tried to take a step away from the embrace. This was about the point where she realized her feet were no longer touching the ground. She opened her eyes. Well, that was certainly the source of the warmth. Her face was pressed into the soft fabric of a cotton jacket that was currently being worn by a very muscular man. She turned her face to the side. A very large muscular _blond_ man. Her eyes went wide. With a tail? He dropped them both to their feet and backed up a step.

"How's my favourite gay couple?"

Her head was reeling. How dare this large man toss her around like so!

"...but we're not..."

"Hey Sun!"

Ruby's soft voice brought her back to reality. Her eyes adjusted. There were her friends. Sun was stood in front of them, the aforementioned grey jacket he wore sporting his racing team's red logo on the left breast. His usually messy blond hair was more organized today, and it was clear he hadn't shaved in a few days. It took her a moment to realize that Ruby had now wrapped her arms around Sun's midsection, as she was too short to put her arms around his neck. Sun hoisted her up again and spun her around, and for the first time that day, Ruby giggled wildly. She was placed back down again.

"Come on in, guys! We've been waiting for you guys. You certainly took far too long to get here."

"Sunny, don't be annoying. They _had_ to drive."

The soft and sweet voice of Blake Belladonna rung out through the room. Weiss looked past 'Sunny' to the sharp-dressed faunus who was stood at the side of the room. Her long navy overcoat was open at the front, revealing an expensive-looking pair of black chinos and white button-up shirt tucked in tightly. And for once, her ears were not tied up in a bow. Huh. She couldn't recall the last time she had seen the faunus without her signature bow tied up over her feline ears. She looked...good! The aforementioned ears turned towards her as she made an obvious humming noise at them. She pushed off the wall she was leaning on, and stepped forward. Weiss was briefly stunned at how pretty Blake was. Her long, usually flowing black hair was tied up in a neat bun today. Two arms wrapped around her.

"It's good to see you, Weiss."

She hadn't noticed she was being hugged by the much taller woman. Mostly for the reason that never in the known universe would Blake ever even think about going near her, let alone hugging her. It made her feel _weird._ But she hugged back anyways.

 _Blake smells nice. Hmm._

Her smile was automatic as she let go. The instant she did, Ruby weaseled her way between them and enveloped the tall faunus in her arms, lifting her from the ground as Sun had. Blake's squirming made her chuckle.

"Ruby! Put me down! Aah! Stop!"

The young woman refused, mushing her face up under Blake's chest, her nose pressed into her sternum. She flailed her legs in vain, as the short huntress had a vice-like grip. Weiss giggled, knowing the woman was now trapped.

"Nope!"

"Ruby Rose, I am a police officer, and I insist you release me this instant! You will be charged with felony snuggling!"

There was a very obvious hint of joy in her voice. _Detective Belladonna_ certainly had claws, but _Blake_ was still a kitten who liked her hugs. Her ears were flat against her head, while normally indicative of anger, was currently so she didn't whack them on the ceiling as Ruby jumped up and down.

"Ruby! You're gonna make me hit my head!"

The young girl relented, dropping the annoyed faunus back onto her feet. Blake's cheeks were quite flushed, and she was clearly smiling under her annoyed guise. Someone called out for them from the other end of the long room.

"Hey, you losers done hugging? Get over here, eh?"

Weiss finally turned her attention down the room to where the large hospital bed sat. There she was. The woman they were here to see.

"Bring me my buds, Sun! You've been hoggin' them enough, eh?"

Her voice was smooth and silky as it always had been. She liked her accent, especially the way it was distinctly Valean, despite her growing up in Mistral. Her long and beautiful red hair was still in place on her head, today hung loosely out of it's usual ponytail and down over her shoulders. A woman with _fabulous_ long black hair she didn't fully recognize stood at the bedside, her back to them. One of Sun's large and muscular hands clapped down on her shoulder and her pushed her very lightly forward towards Pyrrha's bed. She met the piercing green eyes of the woman in the bed. They were very inviting, she thought. Before she realized it, she was standing at the edge of the bed, her hands tightly wrapped around the chrome railing.

"Hey there, Snowflake, Sorry 'bout the weather. How was the drive from the capitol?"

Before she was able to answer, Ruby snuck up behind her and wiggled under her arm, cooing gently and staring up into her eyes. _Oh shit,_ she was pretty.

"The greatest trip of my life, Pyr."

It was said more to her than to Pyrrha. Everyone in the room chuckled warmly. Weiss shivered, half- trying to escape the half-snuggle. Not that she really wanted to, of course, she just didn't know if she was fully comfortable admitting to everyone that her and the excitable girl were together. She gave the crowd a quick glance, and there was no sight of the one person who might react negatively to the news. She smiled. What Yang didn't know wouldn't hurt her.

"Well, actually we're-"

She was cut off by Sun and his enthusiastic cheer.

"Told you, Kitten. I knew they were gay! You owe me twenty lien!"

Weiss was taken aback. _Excuse me?_ She brought a hand up to her chest, mildly offended that she was betting fodder for her friends. More importantly, she was mildly offended that Blake had bet _against_ her. They were teammates! And former roommates! Blake's expression was stern and straightened.

"Sunny, don't be obtuse. You can't just shout that out loud."

Sun's tone became defensive, much to everyone's amusement.

"Blake, we agreed that you wouldn't call me 'Sunny' around our friends. What happened to that promise?"

Blake responded by flippantly waving her hand in his face, and Weiss found herself smiling again. The redheaded patient reached out from where she lay and slapped Sun on the back, hard enough to make him stumble.

"Don't worry Sunny, eh?"

She tilted her head and peered at him over an invisible pair of glasses, pointing a manicured finger at him.

"I'll take your secret to my grave. Right after I tell everyone, of course."

Sun rubbed his back with his tail.

"Geez, Pyr. How are you so strong?"

The warrior laughed boisterously at him, and rolled the sleeves on her hospital gown up over her shoulders. She lifted her right arm up in front of her and _flexed._ The bicep bulged outward like a balloon inflating. An iron balloon. The muscles in her arms rippled.

"Please, Sunny. Being a champion fighter means I can bench press a stadium."

Weiss had to look away. _Oh no._ Pyrrha had the distinction of being her first ever girl-crush, since before Beacon. Weiss had watched every one of the woman's championship matches on repeat, hoping to one day get the opportunity to meet the goddess of fighting. Little did younger Weiss know she would one day attend the same school as the warrior woman. And the day that she _had_ met her, well that was certainly up in the top ten of her favourite days. Even if she _had_ botched the introductions. Sun scoffing at her and the sound of his jacket hitting the floor brought her back to reality.

"Only one stadium? C'mon Pyr. You know that any good fighter can press at least _two."_

Under his jacket Sun was only wearing a tight black t-shirt. Weiss's eyes were drawn back over to the muscular boy. His arms were lifted above his head and he too did his best _Mistralian God_ pose.

 _Oh my gods, why._

His barrel-sized biceps threatened to rip the short sleeves to tatters, and his chest nearly did the same through the artsy pattern on his shirt. He altered his pose, flexing his braided-cable triceps and tightening up his abs.

 _I-I mean... we don't have to be a lesbian..._

Her nose was reaching the bursting point. Any more of this and she would create a bio-hazard spill on the floor. Ruby slipped away from her, and she decided that perhaps she could distract herself with the young woman, whose beauty certainly surpassed the size of her muscles. That was until the young brunette slid her jacket off and onto the floor, pulling her hoodie off as well, revealing a similarly tight t-shirt underneath.

 _Oh come on!_

"Guys, please. Bench pressing large buildings is one thing..."

Ruby slid her sleeves up over her shoulders.

"Can you punch a Goliath in half?"

And with that, the young woman brought her arms up and flexed as well. There was a distinct tearing sound of cotton, as her rolled-up sleeves could not contain the _huge_ shoulders on the girl. Weiss's mouth dropped slightly open. Sure, she had seen Ruby without her clothes on, but she had no idea she had _this much muscle mass_. Ruby's arms were like huge tree trunks, rippling with defined veins and tendons. Her shoulders looked like pads of armour, they were so defined. She went pale. Her nose had reached meltdown. There was no longer red in her cheeks, it was now all flowing out her nose.

"Gods _damn,_ Weiss! I would be gay too if _that_ was what I got to date, eh?"

Weiss turned her attention back to Pyrrha's snide comment. She was doing the eyebrow thing again. Weiss tried to speak, but her voice was clenched up in her throat.

"I think I know my type."

The smirkiest of smirks crossed Pyrrha's face.

"Do you need to leave the room? Bathroom's down the hall on the left."

Weiss twitched.

"Maybe."

Everyone, including the mysterious black-haired woman laughed at her.

 _Fuck._

"Cindy, I'm sorry 'bout that little display. We're kinda deep into fitness, eh."

The woman addressed as 'Cindy' chuckled at this, raising a hand before her. Her plaid button-up was open, revealing a high-necked t-shirt underneath. It looked quite wrinkled, and the graphic on it was a little faded.

"Don't worry about it sweetheart. You forget what my day job is?"

Pyrrha's smile increased, and she gave her friend a playful jab in the boob. Another gay couple? Weiss raised an eyebrow without saying anything. Pyrrha never really showed an interest in women before, and her earlier comment certainly affirmed that.

"Yeah, yeah, combat instructor at Haven, I remember. Not that I could forget, you literally never shut up about it."

"Exactly! So I think I know a thing or two about fitness. Now, I'm certainly not as buff as you, Sun-Bun, or your little huntress friend over there. I'm sorry, I don't think I caught your name, hun."

The woman turned her intoxicating amber eyes over to her and Ruby. Ruby's eyes lit up and she bounced slightly on her heels.

"My name's Ruby! And this is Weiss!"

The woman smiled.

"A pleasure to meet the two of you, My name's Cinder Fall."

It suddenly dawned on her.

"I recognize you! You were at the Vytal Festival in fourth year! You're Ren's high-school girlfriend!"

The door crashed open behind her, making Weiss jump. The aroma of tomato sauce suddenly permeated her nose.

"Did someone say ' _Ren's girlfriend_ '? Present and accounted for!"

Weiss whipped her head around to the source of the noise. The door had been kicked open, and it had almost been kicked clear from its frame. A very bouncy and bubbly ginger girl in a vibrant pink hoodie was stood in the doorway, a plastic bag full of soda cans in her left hand. The dark figure of a man appeared behind her and pushed her forward into the room, and the excited girl nearly jumped _through_ them from the other side of the room. The figure in the doorway stepped into the room as well. His flowing black hair was much shorter than she remembered it being.

"Nora, slow down. You're going to make the drinks explode."

"Pish posh, Renny! They've waited long enough!"

The odd couple pushed into the room, and the source of the tomato smell became obvious. Ren had three white cardboard boxes in his arms, and she could see there was a little picture of a space ship and a slice of pizza on the lid.

"Time for pizza!"

Nora bounced her way into the room, swinging the bag of cans wildly in her arms. She started pulling out the bright purple cans of soda and tossing them to everyone. Even Pyrrha got one thrown at her, and she effortlessly caught it. Ren placed one of the boxes directly in front of the woman on the bed. Her shining green eyes lit up.

"Oh, did you get me Mistralian sausage?"

Pyrrha yanked the lid up on the pizza box. The sharp meaty smell of barbecued sausage filled the air.

" _Ooohhh fuck yeah, bud!"_

Everyone laughed at the excitement she was portraying at the simple gesture of pizza. Weiss's own smile felt genuine for the first time that day. The warrior yanked one of the cheesy triangles up out of the box and stuffed the end into her mouth. She sighed, a look of bliss coming across her face.

"I love you, Nora. Only you would get me banned food in my hospital. You're the best friend I could have ever asked for."

Nora's cheeks flushed a little as she cracked open her own drink.

"Hey, they wouldn't let you have pizza. Girl's gotta have her pizza. I'm happy to oblige for my bestie!"

The Cinder woman piped up from the other side of the hospital bed.

"Wait, I thought this was a restricted food item! How did you get it past the woman at the front gate?"

"She valued her legs _not_ being broken."

Weiss looked over at Nora, who seemed _considerably_ too pleased with herself. It brought a smile to her face. Even without the enormous hammer, the bubbly ginger could still be threatening. Even in her sick state, Pyrrha had the strength to laugh boisterously at Nora's little quip. Her smile was intoxicating. That perfect, magazine-cover smile, the adorable, childlike dimples in her cheeks. She liked the way those huge emerald orbs glowed in the low-light of the hospital room. A realization came to her.

Even in death, Pyrrha was beautiful.

Chapter 57

The sun had long gone down at this point, and most of their friends had already gone back to the hotel down the street. Only herself, Pyrrha and the Cinder woman remained. She sniffed, peeking over at the dozing figure of her friend in the hospital bed, watching her chest rise and fall with every breath. Her bum shifted, trying to find a more comfortable position in the low-slung vinyl chair. Cinder sat next to her in a second chair, her hand on her chin and her eyes fixed on an invisible something or other in the distance. Ruby didn't like the silence in the dark room.

"So how'd you guys meet?"

The woman blinked twice, seemingly torn from whatever daydream she was having. She turned, and her luscious long black hair flowed over her shoulder as she did. Ruby twitched. This woman was _astonishingly_ gorgeous. Pyrrha clearly had good taste.

"How we met? Geez, it was years ago now." the woman said, running a hand through the messy locks, trying to get them away from her eyes. Which were a similarly beautiful amber-gold colour. "My parents died when I was little, and I had to move in with my step-mother."

The woman sighed, turning her gaze back over to the sleeping figure of Pyrrha.

"Pyr lived down the road from me, just past the park. She moved there when we were in third grade. No one wanted to talk to the super pretty super tall girl because she scared them. But not me."

Well that was just adorable. A reminiscent smile fell to the woman's face.

"She was probably my first actual friend. We spent literally everyday hanging out after school in her front yard. She taught me how to throw a punch so it would break teeth. And how to make crepes."

Ruby remembered Pyrrha's famous crepes from Beacon. The expertly thin pastry was always excellent, especially when doused with the thirty tonnes of maple syrup that the tall woman liked to have specially imported. Said woman stirred in her sleep, her head moving slightly. Cinder sighed.

"We did martial arts together at the school gym on Thursday nights. Then I would drag her out to watch the car racing on Fridays. She used to love that. Just sort of hanging out, not really doing much other than leaning on a guardrail and drinking PLG."

She smirked, revealing a few of her pearly whites.

"I remember a time when Pyr got smacked in the face by a car spoiler because she was standing too close to the rail..."

"What?"

Ruby looked down at Pyrrha's sleeping face. It certainly seemed still in one peice.

"Yeah, some kid had put one of those ugly tuner wings on the back of his Zeus. You remember the Hunter Zeus coupe? Little rear-drive thing with the ugly front end?"

Ruby nodded. She was all-too-familiar with the front end of the Zeus coupe. Her first car had been written off because she had been rear-ended by some jerk who was texting and driving in one.

"Well this guy, I don't remember his name for the life of me, not that it matters anyway, but he was out practising his drifting skill, and he spun out right near where we were standing. I backed up in time, but Pyr gor smacked in the cheek by the wing's vertical stabilizer. Homegirl's aura stopped her head coming off. It was really funny."

They both chuckled at this, if only a little. This certainly explained why Pyrrha gained an aversion to modified cars at Beacon, and why she had advised Ruby against putting that big wing on the back of her first car. And why if you went for the face when sparring against her you would be thrown from the arena. She guessed Pyrrha just _really_ didn't want to get hit in the face anymore. But this much would be obvious to anyone. Did anyone really want to be hit in the face?

Cinder sighed again, placing a hand on the edge of the hospital bed, looking distraught. Is this what love looked like? Unconditional attachment, refusal to leave in even the harshest of times? The darkest? Such dedication must be nice, Ruby figured. To have someone around to just kinda be around is what she thought she needed. Someone who could love her without being drawn away by the problems she had. Like the scar.

"Hey, uh, can you watch my bag? I have to run to the ladies."

"Hmm? Oh, for sure."

Cinder smiled at her and got up out of the chair, departing from the room and closing the door. The silence in the room was deafening. Louder than the loudest cannons on the Beacon cliffside. The only sound was the silent beeping of the heart monitor that hung next to the headboard. Ruby took the opportunity to just sort of _look_ at Pyrrha. She was sick. Her eyes, sunken and forlorn, her skin pale. Her beautiful red hair remained, however. No amount of chemotherapy could take _that_ away from her.

But she was still very pretty. She was still Pyrrha 'Maximum Smirk' Nikos. The memory of her infamous smirk made her giggle. Every single opportunity she had to be coy she took, putting to good use the half-smile she was known for. There was this one time, during the Vytal festival, that Pyrrha had _soundly_ knocked her opponent, a cocky rich kid from Vacuo, directly into the ground, so badly his body had made a crater that remained for the rest of the tournament. The reason? He had made a remark that she was 'all show and no go' just because of her name. That she 'couldn't stack up against a _real_ huntsman.' Well, she showed him. _Really_ hard. Ruby remembered that he couldn't walk for a week. Even Yang's terrible crater-based pun had been worth it!

"Hey baby sis!"

 _Speak of the devil, and she shall appear._

Ruby nearly leaped from her skin, but was restrained as two very strong hands clamped down on her shoulders.

"Holy crap, Yang! Don't scare me like that!"

The curly blond hair of her older sister brushed annoyingly into her face as she turned to look at the tall woman. There was her sister, dressed in her favourite jeans and a plaid flannel jacket and black work boots, looking like she had just come from a lumberjack beauty contest. Which clearly she would have won. Yang laughed at her outburst, her toothy grin as intoxicating as ever.

"Chill out, Rubes. I'm here to bring you food."

A small plastic container was placed gently into her lap. She picked it up, looking through the transparent plastic lid. Baby carrots, cucumber slices, celery sticks, mini tomatoes and a little dipping sauce packet labelled 'Ranch'. She smiled. It was such like her older sister to bring her healthy food at almost midnight.

"Thank you, Yang. You're so sweet to me."

Yang gave her a smooch on the top of the head, rubbing her hair with her left hand.

"Anything for my baby sis. This is direct from the Xiao-Long family farm, grown with love, just for you!"

"You grew all this?"

Yang smiled, kneeling down next to her on the cold tile floor.

"Everythin' except for the ranch dressing. I bought that at the market in Patch. I remember you like this stuff the best!"

Ruby's cheeks flushed. Only Yang would be nice enough to illegally transport produce across the continent, and across an ocean, just for her. Ruby looked up into her sister's lovely lilac eyes. They were honest. Endearing.

"Oh, I almost forgot! This is also for you!"

Yang reached down into the bag which she had had the veggies in and pulled out a neatly gift-wrapped box white paper, which sported a large bow, which was also white. Ruby cocked her eyebrows and took the box from her sister's outstretched hand.

"Oh? I wonder who this is from..."

"Wild guess, Rubes."

She opened the box, and gasped silently. There was a small bundle of chocolate-chip cookies wrapped in a bright red ribbon. There was a little folded greeting card tucked to one side of the box. She pulled it out and opened it. The writing inside was very opulent.

 _My dearest Ruby,_

 _Oh hell, that sounds weird. Hey Rose-Petal. It's very sweet of you to stay behind with Pyrrha._

 _I made you these because I figured your ignorant sister would try and bring you healthy snacks._

 _Well fuck that, you get cookies._

 _Because you are MY cookie._

 _I'll see you in the morning_

 _I love you._

 _-Weiss_

 _p.s. Check under the cookies ;)_

Ruby blushed, smiling. Only Weiss would be sweet enough to override Yang's sweetness like that. And only Weiss would take the time and effort to buy supplies and bake cookies in a hotel room just for her. Ruby lifted the cookies. There was a picture.

Of Weiss.

Taking a selfie.

In a bathroom mirror.

Wearing an apron _._

 _And nothing else._

Her face went violently red. Ruby dropped the cookies back into the box and slammed the lid shut, startling her sister, who _thankfully_ was looking away at the moment.

"What, do you not like them? I watched her bake them with love!"

"No Yang I am acutely aware of how much love is in this box."

Her voice wavered, and an embarrassed smile threatened to break out on her face.

"What, did your girlfriend send nudes, or something? Let me see!"

Yang reached for the box, but Ruby held her back. Her sister was _not_ getting back into that box. Not that holding back Yang was all that difficult. Sure the blond was strong but she was stronger, easily holding back the squirming woman.

"Yang, no!"

"Yang yes!"

She put her hand directly on the woman's face and stuck two fingers up her nose, pushing her head away. Yang made a snorting noise and fell backwards laughing. Ruby wiped her hand on the chair, standing up and laughing as well. She extended a hand to her sister, who took it and allowed herself to be dragged back up to her feet.

"You never fight fairly, Ru."

Ruby snorted as well.

"Says the girl who used to smother me in her boobs when she was losing."

"Are you saying that was cheating?"

"Absolutely!"

Yang huffed, crossing her arms under her breasts, pushing them upwards a little.

"I'd say I was _pressing_ my advantage. It was the _breast_ option!"

"Yeah, but... aaarghh!"

Ruby conceded. She had no comeback. Yang had once again won by losing. Damn her! Damn her and her blond beauty! They both giggled like little girls, sighing together. Yang's right hand met her cheek. The _metal_ hand. Some of the joy left her face as it did.

Yang's right arm was fake. A robotic, metal prosthetic given to her by the Atlesian army. A gift from Winter, actually. Yang had lost the arm during the attack on Beacon, when she had dared face off against the terrorists' leader by herself. She had lost. He had taken her arm. But he hadn't taken her spirit. Yang was the most capable amateur Huntress on the hole continent of Sanus. But, in recent years she had moved away from the life of a Huntress to that of a farmer, like their dad. It made her happy. And that was good.

"Chin up, kiddo."

Yang wrapped her arms- both real and robotic- around her, enveloping her in a very warm hug. A hug she realized might be _too_ warm. Ruby tried to breathe in. No such luck. She could hear the servos in her sister's arm whirring as they drew her in closer. She was now trapped face-first in her sister's chest. _Again._

" _Mmmf! Ymmmmf! Mmmmmmmf!"_

"What's that, Ruby? I can't hear you over the sound of me winning again!"

Ruby banged her fist against Yang's shoulder, trying to get the woman to relent. When she finally did, Ruby gasped for breath, an annoyed look on her face.

"Yang! Why!"

"Because I love my baby sister."

Ruby sighed, defeated, but finally breathing.

"I love you too, Yang."

Yang's honest smile made her smile as well. Her sister was good at that. The whole 'making her feel better for no reason' thing.

"Hey, kiddo, I have to go back to the hotel with the others. I'll see you in the morning alright?"

"Yeah. Can you tell Weiss 'thank you' for me?"

Yang smiled evilly.

"Want me to give her a nice big wet kiss for you, too?"

"Yang, don't be weird."

The blond woman laughed, making her smile anyways.

"Don't you fret, Rubes. See ya later."

Ruby nodded slowly as she watched her sister collect her bag and make for the door. Before she pushed it open, she turned back and smirked.

"Oh, and when Pyrrha wakes up, tell her I'm still the better fighter."

Yang winked, making Ruby laugh softly. The door opened, and her older sister disappeared through it. Not a moment later, the door opened again and Cinder walked back through. She stopped as she saw Ruby standing there in the middle of the room.

"Who was that?"

Ruby smiled down at her boots.

"My sister. She brought me veggies."

Cinder whipped her head back to the door, then back around at Ruby, a confused yet impressed look on her face. She shrugged her eyebrows.

"She's hot."

Ruby chuckled.

"Yeah, but we're only half-sisters. We have the same dad."

"What, is her mother some kind of warrior queen of the wasteland? Because _damn."_

Ruby gave a nervous laugh. She wasn't strictly that far off, actually. She shook her hand nonchalantly.

"Well, _sorta._ She abandoned our dad a few hours after Yang was born. Never once called or attempted to make contact with her daughter."

"You mean like _right_ after she gave birth she left? She would have been in significant pain if she tried to move, let alone fight right after giving birth. Like, _I_ was stuck in the hospital for a week because I needed to wait for my... _stitches_ to heal."

Cinder gestured at her hips.

"I mean I was only _barely_ twenty one. Didn't really have mature enough 'equipment' yet, said the doctor. There was some...tearing."

Ruby winced.

"But. I would say it certainly was worth it. I mean, despite the horrible, debilitating pain I was in I never once considered abandoning my daughter. What kind of shitty person abandons their kids?"

"Raven, that's who. Wait, hang on. You have children?"

The gorgeous woman nodded, smiling brightly and pulling out her scroll. Ruby watched as she flicked it on, flipping through the phone's photo gallery. She landed on a picture of a little girl, holding her phone out for her to take. Ruby took the device, staring at the screen. The most beautiful toddler she had ever laid eyes on stared back at her from the little picture. She was wearing a _darling_ red dress, which seemed to sparkle in the bright summer sunlight, and she had an equally red bucket in her hand as she danced around in the sand of the beach. Her eyes were almost identical to her mother's, bright and shining golden-orange, and she had the very same cheeky dimples on her face as she smiled. The only thing distinguishing this little girl from her mother was her hair.

It was blond.

 _Very_ blond.

Ruby winced again as she looked at the messy blond mop on the little girl's head. It was angrily familiar. She handed the phone back to it's owner, who silenced the bright screen and stuck it back into her pants pocket.

"That's my daughter, Amber. She looks so much like her father."

There was a sorrow in the woman's voice. Ruby had just pieced it together, and had figured out just _who_ the father was. She remembered a story Ren had told her one night on patrol back on one of their first missions together, right out of Beacon and soon after the terrorist attacks. He spoke of an old friend of his who had recently had a child with sparkling blond hair. Who had slept with one of his close friends, and had then been abandoned herself by the child's father.

A friend of Ren's?

Child born soon after the Attacks?

With _blond_ hair?

Ruby choked on something in her throat, careful to hide it from the other woman. She knew who it was. The same person responsible for the nightmares, the same person responsible for the body image problems. The same person stopping her feelings from being able to bloom.

"I'm sorry."

Cinder shook her head.

"Don't be. I don't need him anyways."

There was a momentary silence.

"Because you're a strong, independent woman who don't need no man, Cindy."

They both jumped a little looking over to when Pyrrha had supposedly be asleep. She was smiling, her eyes still closed.

"Oh? You're awake?"

The dozing girl nodded, shifting her shoulders in her hospital gown. Her eyes opened slowly, the fabulous green orbs glowing in the low light.

"I am. I've been listening to you talk. You guys are very loud."

Ruby scratched her head sheepishly.

"Sorry, Pyrrha."

"Hey now, don't worry. I was only sleeping a little. Besides, I like you two enough to not be upset that you woke me. And Ruby, no. Your sister is _not_ the better fighter."

She snickered a little, trying not to exhale too hard. Her breathing seemed more ragged than it had been a few hours ago. She looked over at Cinder.

"How's my little Amber doing, Cin?"

The tall woman chucked at her.

" _Your_ little Amber? Honey, she's _my_ daughter."

Pyrrha waved her off dismissively.

"Semantics."

Cinder laughed again.

"She's doing just fine. She misses her auntie Pyrrha, though. She was very upset you missed her fourth birthday three weeks ago."

Pyrrha sighed.

"I'm really sorry. I'll be at the next one, I promise."

There was a distinct choking in both of their voices, as if they knew that wasn't a possibility. Cinder sniffed, as if to show her frustration.

"You better be."

Ruby didn't want to witness this. But she knew she had to. The woman she admired was here, depending on her to be strong and be brave for her. Pyrrha coughed loudly, clearly in pain. Ruby and Cinder approached the bed in unison, as Pyrrha doubled over, clutching her chest in agony. Ruby felt powerless as she watched, one hand one the woman's back, the other uselessly wrapped around the bed's chrome side rail. She rubbed Pyrrha's back under the luscious red hair, feeling every throe and shudder of the woman's compromised lungs. It was as fruitless a gesture as any. You couldn't cure lung cancer with back rubs. Pyrrha heaved once more, and then she was silent, panting slightly. They laid her back against the pillows slowly, careful not to agitate her lungs any further. Though there really wasn't any further they could damage them, truth be told. When she had relaxed again, she spoke quietly.

"I'm sorry, guys. I really am."

There was the soft spoken Pyrrha she remembered. Quiet, and apologetic. It made her want to cry. The litres of morphine that was being pumped into her through the two hanging IV bags had made her a little loopy. But now, she was back to her regular self. This was a bad sign. She didn't like it at all.

The Invincible Girl was giving up.

Pyrrha sighed and sank deeper into the bed. She looked dejected, even as the woman she called her best friend, Cinder, placed one hand on her cheek. This little action alone was enough to make her mouth curl into a little smile.

"Hey, honey. You okay?"

Pyrrha nodded.

"I'm...fine. Don't worry."

There was a lot of worry.

"How does it feel?"

Her smile faded, and her eyes closed again. She paused, as if trying to best describe the feeling.

"Like a burning arrow to the chest, Cinder."

The woman laugh-cried quietly, smiling pathetically and looking into Pyrrha's slowly opening eyes. She tried her hardest to make a joke.

"S-surely not one of mine, hun. I wouldn't do that to you..."

Now it was Ruby's turn to sniffle. This made Pyrrha turn her eyes over to her, perking up when she did.

"Hey now, cheer up, friend. I'll be fine. It's only a little bit of cancer."

Cinder snorted loudly, gesturing to the CT scan that sat in the lighted display on the wall.

"A little?!"

Pyrrha cut her off with a raised hand.

"Ah ah ah! No more doom and gloom. I want Ruby to be happy again. I don't like seeing her cry. How's my car?"

Cinder rubbed her eyes with her sleeve, settling down and leaning against the railing.

"It's fine. Under a car cover in my garage."

"No, not the red one. I mean the white one. With the wing!"

"You mean _my_ car? The Terminal?"

"Nah, I'm pretty sure it's mine."

So the white coupe in the parking lot belonged to Cinder? Well, that certainly explained the child's booster seat that was in the back seat. Kind of a serious racing machine to belong to a mother, she figured. Ruby piped up anyways.

"You have your own car, Pyr?"

Pyrrha nodded, closing her eyes in memory.

"I do! One of the perks of having cancer is you get wishes. I asked for a bright red sports car. I don't even have a licence!"

Ruby looked over at Cinder, who had chuckled quietly.

"You own a brand new Sanus Stallion, silly. It's not a sports car."

"Felt pretty sporty to me that one time you let me drive it."

Ruby smiled. It was fairly obvious that Pyrrha didn't care for cars like her friend did, not really interested in makes or models.

"I bet it's faster than your car, Cindy."

"Oh, I _highly_ doubt that. You might have more power, but you aren't out running my GT-S, let alone _me._ Besides, your car is an automatic. Not really great for street racing. _"_

Pyrrha shrugged.

"Eh. Does good burnouts, though."

They all laughed loudly at this. Yes, the Stallion would do good burnouts. That was about all they were good for, Ruby figured. Her dad owned one, actually. Considerably more vintage than Pyrrha's. She remembered one summer inviting all of her friends over to her dad's farm in Patch, and showing them all the unfinished car that sat in the garage. Pyrrha had been the only one who had known what it was, despite the fact it was missing it's fenders and front clip and being mostly disassembled. Perhaps it was because of her days being dragged to car shows by a teenaged Cinder that had done it. She smiled down at Pyrrha, who had her attention on the other woman's shirt.

"I remember buying you that."

She pointed a finger into Cinder's chest again, much softer, as if her arm was not working to full capacity. The raven-haired woman looked down at her own clothing and grinned, opening up her dress shirt and revealing the graphic t-shirt underneath. A picture of a bespectacled boy with his arms crossed and a humorously large frown was on the front, along with the words ' _I'm Missing A Car Show Right Now'_ printed beneath.

"Yeah, me too. It was my fourteenth birthday."

"We were at the annual Haven City Car Show."

Cinder smiled, leaning forward over Pyrrha a little more.

"I remember the other thing you gave me for that birthday."

 _Oh?_

"You mean when I took your kiss-ginity?"

 _Oh my._

Cinder laughed out loud.

"You gave me yours, too, hun."

This was certainly an interesting development. Did this mean that Pyrrha was gay? For her friend? Pyrrha turned a sober expression her way.

"I promise I'm not gay, Ruby. We were young and impressionable."

She deadpanned this with one hand extended for emphasis. Ruby smiled. She had figured Pyrrha hadn't been gay. Just a little show-offy. Pyrrha's intoxicating smile returned as her cheeks brightened.

"But if I _was_ gay, Cindy would be my first choice. Followed maybe by you, Red."

 _Well then._

Ruby's face went bright crimson. That was awfully forward. Not that she minded. She once had a crush on the mighty woman like Weiss had. She was certainly attractive. What would it have been like to kiss such a beautiful woman, she wondered. Cinder's sigh dragged her back to earth.

"And you know I would have been gay for you, honey. But it's late, and I have to go back to Mistral tomorrow. Have to go relieve my babysitter. She's becoming more Amber's mother than I am."

Pyrrha laughed.

"Penny's a better mother than you anyways!"

"You take that back!"

Ruby gave a confused expression as Pyrrha laughed loudly.

"Penny's your babysitter? Penny Polendina?"

Cinder nodded, smiling.

"After her and Pyr's little 'incident' at the tournament, we had her rebuilt on Pyr's dime to be my kid's nanny. She was happy to oblige, because we rebuilt her with more powerful processors. Gave her freedom from the army's servers, too. She likes us mostly because Pyrrha payed for her repairs herself."

"Are you sure she doesn't still hold it against me? I still feel really bad about that."

Pyrrha looked visibly upset. She remembered the incident in question. Penny hadn't told anyone that she was actually an android, and during her spar against Pyrrha, she had accidentally been flayed by the woman's magnetic powers. It had been horrifying to witness.

Right up until the bisected robot had angrily cursed and demand to be put back together. It had been the only time Ruby had ever seen the ginger robot actually swear. She was so innocent! But it _had_ been kinda funny in retrospect.

"She's over it, hun. Although she refuses to let Amber eat Pumpkin Pete's cereal. I think that's more because it's not healthy, though."

Pyrrha sighed deeply and smiled.

"Speaking of, I have to go be a mommy now, hun."

Cinder leaned over the bed and dropped a quick kiss on the top of the readhead's hair, picking up her bag from the floor. Before she could move away, her arm was caught by Pyrrha's hand.

"Hey, that's not how you give a goodbye kiss, you know that."

Cinder chuckled, stepping back to the edge of the bed.

"If you insist, honey."

Pyrrha gave her smug grin.

"It's my destiny!"

She leaned in, pressing her lips against the puckered ones of the woman on the bed. Ruby blushed and looked away. This was not what she had expected to see tonight. The quiet sounds of amorous face-affection continued for what felt like an hour. It was _really_ awkward. Where was Weiss when you needed her, seriously. The noises stopped, and Ruby chanced a glance back over to the not-couple. They had separated, and Cinder was standing up again, a smile on her face. And mildly smudged lipstick. Pyrrha was looking up at her with _visible_ stars in her eyes. Ruby spoke, if only to break the silence.

"And you're _sure_ you aren't gay, Pyrrha?"

"Straight as an arrow!"

Cinder snorted as she shouldered her bag.

"Says the girl who just had her tongue in my mouth."

"Pfft, so did you."

"Semantics, honey. _Au revoir, mon cheri."_

They shared one last hug, and Pyrrha stole herself another kiss with a confident giggle, making Cinder roll her eyes dramatically. Ruby gave the tall woman a short, awkward hug as well, before she departed.

The room was quiet again, with only herself and Pyrrha. She looked back down to the woman on the bed. She had a victorious smile on her face. Ruby tried to sound dramatic.

"What are you so happy about, Pyr?"

"She was my first _and_ my last."

"Don't say that, Pyrrha. Please..."

Ruby was having a hard time not crying. She was alone. Almost. The CT scan on the wall ensured that she very soon would be. The density of the white clouds on the picture was telling. There was more cancer than lungs in that picture. Pyrrha's lungs _were_ the cancer. Ruby tried her very hardest to not look at the image. The problem was that it was one of the few sources of light in the room. It _forced_ her to look. She considered letting the tears flow.

"I'm sorry, Ruby. I didn't mean to make you cry."

Everyone knew that today would come. Pyrrha had been born with this inflection. It wasn't like she could run away from it. The chemo had been successful in limiting the growths, but it had gotten to be too much. The drugs and radiation required to cease the cancer would have been enough to cease her heart by themselves. Two years prior, Pyrrha had decided to go on a reduced dosage. It meant she would be killed by the cancer, for sure, but at least she wouldn't be killed by the medicine. The first tear fell down her cheek.

"I don't want you to go..."

"I'll be right here, Ruby. I'm not going anywhere."

The phrase was carefully worded to reassure her.

"You always told me to it was about being strong on the inside that counted, right?"

"I did. My insides are just not very strong."

What a terrible joke at a terrible time. The second and third tears fell. Followed by a fourth.

"You need to realize something, Ruby."

She was smiling. Ruby's voice wavered.

"What's th-that?"

"I am still the Invincible Girl, dear."

The tears had broken through. Her weakness had shown it's ugly head. Yet Pyrrha still hadn't stopped smiling with that beautiful smile of hers.

"Because the only thing strong enough to kill me..."

She paused, closing her eyes.

"... is _me_. I once again reign victorious."

Ruby cried openly, dropping her face into Pyrrha's sheets. A hand found her hair, and began stroking it gently.

"Sweetheart, don't worry."

Ruby ripped her face from the sheets, her eyes raw and flooded.

"But I _do_ worry! I don't want you to go!"

A single lonely tear dripped down the woman's face.

"I know. I don't want to go either. And I wont. I promise."

What a shallow, selfish promise that was. Ruby knew there was no way she could keep that promise. It made her heart want to explode from her chest. Pyrrha's hand met the side of her face, her thumb rubbing gently at the wet streak.

"As long as you remember what I said, I can never die."

No. She didn't want to remember. It made her feel sick. The tears rose harder in her stomach now, tempting her to vomit. How could she be so blase about her own mortality? Who would be there to smirk at people? Who would be there to teach her how to correctly enjoy her waffles? The woman's breathing had slowed. The EKG machine next to the bed had slowed its beeping.

"No, Pyrrha. I don't want you to die!"

"And I won't. I already said I would be here in the morning."

She slid her body further down in the bed, and her hand slipped from her face. Ruby caught it on the way down, wrapping her fingers around it. She could feel Pyrrha's grip. It was weak.

Her hands felt colder than she would have liked.

Pyrrha opened one eye.

"I'm tired, Ruby. Tired of the pain. I don't hate it anymore. I'm just...tired."

No. _No._ Ruby tried to internally shut her ears from the noise. It was not what she ever wanted to hear.

"I'm glad you came to see me. You and Weiss both. I love you guys. So much."

She wanted to scream for her to stop talking. To ease the feeling. She didn't _want_ to be loved right now. She just wanted to have her friend stay alive.

"It took a lot out of me to be cheery for Cinder, there. She's very delicate. The first time I told her I was terminal she refused to speak to me for a month. She cried every day. It made me feel like I had betrayed her. That is not a feeling any sixteen-year old wants to feel. Alone. Trapped in your own body."

 _Stop it!_

"I became a huntress because... I thought I could win against myself. That being stronger on the outside would save me. It took me _years_ to realize that being strong on the _inside_ made people happy. It made Cindy happy."

Pyrrha sighed. Ruby had to physically restrain her crying with her free hand.

"But I'm tired of running."

She closed her eyes again, smiling almost imperceptibly.

"I think I need to sleep. I've been awake since three in the morning."

"N-..."

Ruby almost told her not to. Pyrrha clearly had heard it, turning her head and opening her eyes. The beautiful green orbs shone brightly in the low light. Ruby tried to take in every millimetre of surface. She feared she might not be able to again.

"Hey now, I said I would be there when you wake up, didn't I? I just need to sleep right now. It's been a long day."

"O-okay..."

Pyrrha smiled again and closed her eyes. Ruby felt her squeeze down on her hand.

"Goodnight, Ruby."

She couldn't say it back. Her throat was tight, and would not yield. Within a minute, the woman had dozed off, the distinct rhythmic rising and falling of her chest evident enough. Ruby scooted her chair a little closer to the bed and laid her head on the sheets, still holding Pyrrha's hand.

It hadn't felt like a 'goodnight'.

It felt like 'goodbye'.

She sighed, confined to her sadness, and closed her eyes as well.

Pyrrha had promised to still be there in the morning.

She had to be.

Everything was going to be fine.

Right?


	21. Chapter 21: Goodbye

Chapter 58

Sleep had evaded her. _Annoyingly._ She rolled onto her left side, staring at the little digital clock on the little bedside table in her little hotel room. It certainly wasn't as big as any of the resorts she had stayed at the last three days. The green numbers on the front of the clock were much too bright for her liking. She had to squint.

 _Three-thirty._

Holy hell, it was early. She had been up since like what, five in the morning? Save for the nap she had at the workshop the previous evening, she was running on fumes. Everything ached. But her body refused to surrender to the night. Weiss rolled onto her back, staring up at the dark ceiling. It taunted her, as if it was saying _we're asleep and you're not, loser._ She frowned, drawing her arm across her eyes. The ceiling could go fuck itself.

 _I wonder how she's doing? She must be lonely..._

Weiss nodded to her inner self. Ruby would, at this hour, likely be sitting in a hospital chair, waiting for everyone to wake up and return to the hospital. Maybe she needed company? Weiss shrugged to herself. She was awake anyways. She sat up slightly on her elbows, looking around at her roommates. On the bed across the room lay Yang and Nora, splayed out on _top_ of the covers, tangled in each other like a ball of string. On the pull-out couch against the windows lay Ren and Sun, a line of pillows separating them so they wouldn't _accidentally_ touch butts. She smirked slightly, flopping back down on her bed. The person she was sharing her bed with exhaled slightly louder than usual. She turned to her right side, observing her bedmate.

" _Blake!"_

She tried to whisper loud enough for the faunus to hear, but quiet enough to not wake the others. The woman stirred slightly, not awoken. She tried again, blowing slightly on the woman's nose.

" _Blake, are you awake?"_

Dumb question, she knew, but what else was she supposed to say? Blake furrowed her brow, frowned, but didn't open her eyes. Weiss reached out a finger and gently poked her in the arm.

" _Blaaaaake!"_

The amber eyes opened. They had an almost _savage_ feline glow to them in the near-darkness of the room. It actually scared her into silence as the faunus glared menacingly at her.

" _Weiss, you better have a good reason to wake me."_

Her whisper was hoarse and raspy, that of a person forced against their will to be awake. Weiss shrugged, answering sheepishly.

" _I can't sleep. I'm worried about Ruby and Pyrrha."_

Blake looked like she was actively trying to be angry. She stared for no more than a few seconds, before sighing and closing her eyes again and rolling onto her back.

" _Okay, I won't kill you today. I guess that's fair."_

Weiss raised an eyebrow. She had planned on killing her? Well. That was certainly justified, she guessed. Even she herself would threaten murder if someone woke her from her beauty sleep back at the manor. She remembered very nearly stabbing her brother to death earlier that year when he had tried to come in her room and bring her breakfast. For her _birthday._ And she had nearly killed him! Poor Whitley had never entered her room again. Blake stirred next to her, sitting up in the bed. Weiss followed her up.

" _C'mon. CoffeeHaus should still be open at this hour. You're buying."_

Coffee at this early in the morning? Well, perhaps it would at least make her feel a little better. Weiss sighed, remembering that CoffeeHaus coffee was rather expensive for what it was; just kind of bland. She slung her legs over the side of the bed, her socked feet gracefully hitting the floor without noise. She looked back over to where Blake was, watching her carefully standing and striding towards her bag on the table. Weiss smirked. Of course Blake could navigate the near-pitch black room with ease, she was a faunus! Of course, in her own eyes, there was not much to see. The room was blanketed in darkness. She stood up, following the other woman around to where their bags lay, and pulled a rather expensive-looking white overcoat out of hers. It was put on with care, so as to not smack the now-kinda irritated faunus.

" _Shouldn't we get dressed?"_

Blake shook her head no, before moving towards the door. Weiss paused, unsure of what to do. She looked down at her pyjamas. Plaid, flannel, not particularly attractive. But, considering the time of day, would anyone really care? She shrugged, deciding to let it be, and followed Blake out into the dimly lit hallway of the hotel. Once the door had closed, they both let out a sigh. The silence of the hallway was unnerving, however. The fluorescent lights above them hummed weirdly, an almost eerie whine coming from them. Weiss pulled her jacket tighter, noticing that Blake had done the same with her own navy coat. Clearly she didn't enjoy the spooky silence either.

They very swiftly found their way down to the lobby, electing to bypass the elevator using the stairs. The previous night, the elevator had decided to throw a hissy fit and cease to operate correctly, refusing to budge from the first floor. The receptionist was at his desk, entirely oblivious to the two women who were walking through his lobby, as he seemed to be distracted by his computer screen. Weiss though she could hear the sounds of gunfire coming from it, and judging by the consistent clicking of his mouse, she guessed he was playing some kind of shooting game. Perhaps it was _Foreordination,_ the one first-person-shooter she was actually good at. Maybe this guy was the infamous _Pu$$ySlayr69_ she always had to fight against. She scowled at him as Blake pulled her out into the parking lot.

"Hurry up. You walk too slow."

Weiss turned her attention back to Blake.

"Yeah, well... You walk too fast!"

 _Nice comeback._

Weiss rolled her eyes at the helpfulness that was Inner Weiss. They approached Blake's car. The large, imposing black police sedan sat quietly to one side of the parking lot, between Ren's XR-Coupe and Yang's rented Sanus SUV. The LED headlights flashed on, and the quiet _thunk_ of the car's central locking system was the only sound in the otherwise silent town. Weiss strolled slowly over to the passenger side, the sound of the snow under her boots almost sounding like cannonfire, and pulled the large door open as Blake did the same on her side of the car. They both dropped into their seats simultaneously, the heavy sedan rocking slightly as its occupants' settled in and pulled the doors closed. Weiss pulled her seatbelt on as her driver cranked the quiet eight cylinder engine into life.

"First time in the front seat of one of these?"

Weiss turned and scoffed.

"Are you saying I'm a delinquent, Belladonna? Because I'll have you kno-"

"Weiss, geez, I'm kidding. I already know your record is clean, it was just a joke."

Weiss smirked. She was fully aware of the joke. Not that Blake needed to know. She just needed to be humbled a little, that was all.

"Well. Your humour skills are quite lacking, I'm afraid."

Blake dropped the transmission into gear, and the heavy cop car pulled out of the parking spot with ease.

"Says you, Schnee."

Weiss gave a huff, hiding enough humour in it to make the woman smile visibly. They pulled out onto the main road, the police car's all wheel drive and winter tires tugging them forward with grace and silence. She didn't want to admit to being impressed by the car's smoothness. It was a cop car! It had no reason to be impressive! Speaking of, the car's siren and light controls sat very much in reach of her left hand. It was currently taking all of her strength to _not_ reach over and push the button labelled _'WAILER',_ as Blake would likely remove all her skin with a rusty knife if she did. Then, as if she was telepathic, Blake spoke up from the driver's seat.

"I know you're thinking about it."

" _Puh-lease!_ Just once!"

Blake sighed and smiled, grabbing the control box and lifting it off of the velcro pad it was on and handed it to her, the little coiled cable that connected it to the console twanging like a guitar string. Weiss gingerly took it, awestruck.

"Fine, you may whoop it once. But this is kind of illegal. I really hope there are no patrol units out at this hour."

Weiss nodded with force, acknowledging this fact. Her thumb hovered above the little plastic switch, aching to press it. She had literally just been given permission. She pushed the button.

 _WHOOP WHOOP_

the noise the car made scared her enough that she actually dropped the control box into her lap. Blake laughed at her from the other seat. Well, it was less laugh and more amused chuckle. Gingerly, she replaced the control box back onto it's place on the console. That was enough silly fun for the day, she thought. Sliding down in her seat, she idly brought her hand up and fiddled with the handle on the car's spotlight. Blake pulled the car into a parking lot on the right side of the road, parking up beneath the brightly lit sign that read _COFFEEHAUS_ in obnoxious green neon letters.

"Got your wallet?"

The question caught Weiss off-guard. So much so, she actually had to check whether or not she actually did. Her hand slipped into her front pocket on her coat. Nope, she definitely had it with her.

"Yeah, of course."

"Good. I'm gonna order the most expensive latte I can get with every topping. _And_ whipped cream."

"Y-yeah. My treat."

What kind of heathen orders a latte with _whipped cream?_ Weiss fought the overwhelming urge to cringe violently at the idea as she got out of the low-slung car. Her back briefly groaned in displeasure as she hoisted herself into a standing position. Even being as short as she was and as low as the car was to the ground, it still took more effort than she would have liked.

"C'mon, Schn-"

"I'm coming! Geez, don't rush me!"

Weiss pulled her coat tighter around her torso, trying to not let some of the blowing snow into her clothing. Lucky for them, the parking lot was plowed, so she could see the patches of ice that littered the pavement. Blake held the door open for her and she stepped into the coffee shop, saying a brief and quiet 'thank you' to the taller woman.

The inside of the coffee shop smelled kinda weird. Like coffee, sure, but also like _all_ of the espresso shots mixed together. It was an assault on her nose. They walked up to the counter that was attended by only a single barista, a young-looking kid with vibrant blue and purple hair and thick black glasses. She looked as if she was _trying_ to be hip. She was probably one of those nocturnal students taking night classes, she figured. Weiss ordered herself a fully-caffeinated black coffee, letting Blake order her fancy _wrong_ latte as well. She briefly fumbled with her wallet, paying for their orders. Before long, they were sitting at a table by the window, their coffees dimly lit in the not-yet morning light.

Weiss took a sip of her coffee. It was _really_ strong. But, it was working to wake her up. She paused, looking cautiously at her cup. She couldn't remember why she had stopped for a second. Placing the cup down, she found herself staring intently at the white porcelain cylinder. Didn't Ruby take her coffee black? No, of course not. It was cream and five sugars, because the younger woman _enjoyed_ trying to give herself diabetes. Blake didn't usually drink coffee, and Yang was a tea and Jack Daniels kind of girl. It came to her.

"You know, Pyrrha takes her coffee straight like this. No milk, no sugar. Just pain in a cup."

Blake made a face behind her cup, setting it down on the table with a muted _clink_.

"Yeah that always confused me. She was a firm believer in drinking coffee as thick as tar, yet never letting Nora have any. I mean, she was the best fighter of any of us yet she never showed signs of caffeine high or the shakes."

"You spent a lot of time having coffee with her?"

Blake shrugged and took another sip.

"Well, I spent a lot of time in the library studying, and conveniently so did her and her team. If they were a bit loud. We used to buy each other coffee. Frequently. Unlike you, who spent most of your time in our room with Ruby."

Weiss blushed, hiding the sly smile at the hidden implication of that sentence. Even Blake smiled, a rare event for the usually disgruntled woman. Weiss twisted her face into an amused visage.

"I'll have you know, there was no hanky and _certainly_ no panky occurring when you were out."

Blake chuckled, taking another sip of her latte. Some of the foam collected on her top lip, making her smile.

"I think I would have known. Faunuses have increased senses, and I can smell sex from a mile away."

Weiss huffed.

"Well, I never..."

"Weiss, chill out. I'm only teasing you."

She crossed her arms over her chest, huffing again and turning away, causing the woman across from her to smile and release a small chuckle. She brought one hand up to her mouth, covering her own cheeky smile. She watched Blake take another sip of her expensive and ludicrous latte. There was a brief twinkle of polished metal from inside the faunus's jacket. Her badge, she guessed.

"Hey, you know, I don't think you've ever told me why you became a cop, you know?"

Blake looked over at her sideways, her face turned out the window. She placed the cup back down on the table, a pensive look on her face.

"I haven't?"

"Nope."

"Huh. Well, I suppose it's important. You remember what I did... _before_ attending Beacon, right?"

Not that it was hard to forget, of course. Blake had been a rather prominent member of the global terrorist organization known as The White Fang. Or at least she had been _prior_ to it becoming a radical movement. When Blake had been a member, it was a peaceful society of Faunus who protested the poor treatment of their species. Weiss nodded, signifying her understanding. Blake shrugged, looking around.

"Well, if you can believe it, it was actually Pyrrha who suggested I pursue a career in law."

Weiss raised her eyebrows.

"Did she, now?"

Blake let out a very muted and dejected sigh. Almost as if she was trying to hide the shrug in her shoulders.

"Yeah. Well, you might not know or believe this, but Pyrrha never really...liked me all that much. B-because of the White Fang gig, actually."

"Yeah, but... you were with them before the bad stuff, right?"

Blake winced.

"Well, I was there right at the end of the peaceful stuff. After my dad got succeeded by Adam."

Right. Adam. Blake's psycho ex-boyfriend. The jerk had dared turn the organization into a terrorist cell. And then he had dared to attack the school during their fourth year with hordes of Grimm and stolen military hardware. _Then_ he had made the very, _very_ large mistake of directly attacking both Blake and Yang directly, giving Blake a nasty scar on her hip and had completely removed Yang's right arm just above the elbow. Weiss fidgeted in her seat. He had not survived the end of the attack. Apparently, it's not wise to attack Miss Goodwitch's students during school hours.

Yes, it was true that the faculty and Headmaster Ozpin had known that Blake had previously been a part of that organization. She had been allowed entry to the school based on her skill and willingness to change her views. Most of the school had accepted her as well, both human and faunus alike. Becoming a police officer was certainly an interesting choice for the former freedom fighter. Blake shrugged her shoulders from across the table.

"I thought that if I could find a way to improve myself, it would allow me to undo any wrongs that I did while working for that bastard, Adam. So I became a cop on Pyr's recommendation. Well, not a cop, but a police detective."

Weiss tilted her head a little to one side, placing her slowly emptying mug down on the table. The coffee was getting worse the more she woke up, she was suddenly finding.

"Is there a difference between what you are and a P.I?"

"Eh, a little. I carry a badge and a gun, and private eyes in Vale are not allowed to under the _Investigative Services Act._ Also I don't have to make traffic stops unless the need is pertinent. Like, if I see someone conducting a car-jacking or running someone off the road I am _obviously_ required to deal with that, but if you run a stop sign I won't bother."

"Huh. So if I'm ever in Vale, I'm allowed to break all the traffic laws?"

Blake downed the rest of her latte, and pulled out a notebook from her coat.

"Sure, what kind of car do you drive?"

"Atlas Klass- wait, are you taking this down?"

Blake shrugged, looking down into her notebook and scribbling something."

"No, no. I'm not recording this to tell all the patrol units, if that's what you're thinking."

"You're an asshole."

"Coming from- gosh what was the nickname? Oh yeah, _Ice Queen."_

Weiss did her best imitation of Ruby's 'maximum pout', and Blake chuckled in her direction before turning her gaze out the window. She had a distinct look of recollection on her face. One of her cat ears twitched on top of her head, flicking a few strands of her long hair into her eyes.

"Yeah, it's a bit of a high-stress job sometimes. I mean, I've been spending a lot more time sitting at my desk reading files, or sitting in my car reading fil- fuck, I've done a lot of file-reading recently. I haven't done any really strenuous activity. I mean, I put on a few pounds, even."

Blake's face fell a little at this. Weiss scrunched her brow, leaning around the edge of the table and staring at Blake's pyjama-clad legs and torso. Was the faunus lying to her? She seemed even more fit than she had been at Beacon!

"You uh...wanna tell me where the weight goes? You look exactly the same."

The woman winced.

"You're going to hate me."

"Because I don't already, Kitten."

"It uh... all goes in two places for Belladonna women."

Oh dear.

"Don't say it..."

"Tits and ass."

"Motherfucker."

Blake sighed, her face apologetic. Weiss growled and crossed her arm over her chest, glaring sharply at the other woman.

"Look, I'm sorry! It's just what happens to us! You think I _want_ to have back pain because of these... _things_ on my chest?"

Weiss cocked an eyebrow, a wicked smile coming to her face.

"How big? Wait, no don't tell me. I want to see if I can guess."

Blake paused for a second before leaning forward over the small circular table.

"Go ahead."

Weiss smiled, pleased that she was _finally_ given permission to do just this exact thing. She placed her hands inside the woman's coat, her thumbs resting just under the woman's breasts and her fingers wrapped around the ribs. After about a second or two of measurement, she brought her hands up and placed them gently over the presented mounds, leaving her pinkie fingers on the woman's ribs. Anyone looking at the situation from the outside might have imagined that there was some sexual shenanigans occurring between the two women. Weiss left her hands on the breasts probably longer than she needed to, but it wasn't like she was going to pass up the opportunity to fondle such magnificent specimens. She frowned.

"I would guess a thirty-two D?"

Blake leaned back in her chair, robbing Weiss of the fondleables. She tried not to feel disappointed, as it was not her place to touch the lovely mounds.

"Double."

 _Ya say what?_

"Huh?"

"Thirty two _double_ D."

Weiss twitched, recoiling her hands back to her body. Her mouth dropped open just slightly, her brain not quite being able to process what she had just heard. She looked slowly down at her own chest, the measly bust, which until a few moments ago she had been proud of, just seemed pitiful now. How horribly childish she was in her figure. Thirty C, _pah!_ She bet that Blake was this size by the time she was twelve. And now _this._ Weiss was upset all of a sudden. She sent Blake a barbarous glare.

"I don't _like_ you, Blake Belladonna."

"I understand. Ice Queen."

"That's _Miss_ Ice Queen, to you, Kitten."

As upset as she was trying to appear, she couldn't _not_ laugh as Blake seemed to deflate into herself, her shoulders slumped into her jacket. Blake's sombre expression finally broke as well, replaced by a much nicer and softer smile. She coughed once, picking up her cup and checking it for any remnants of coffee. Weiss took a confident sip of her own drink, as if to tease the other woman that she had some drink left. Blake smiled down at the table, looking pleased with herself.

"You know..."

Weiss placed her cup down, as it was now empty. A good thing, as the end of the black coffee was much stronger and much worse than the beginning.

"Hmm?"

"...We were thinking about having kids one day."

Weiss's eyebrows shot up.

"Really?!"

Children spawned from Blake _and_ Sun? She shuddered internally. They would most likely be the most physically superior and simultaneously elegant children in the universe. Was that fair? Well, probably not, she figured. She shook the image of the possibility of the Wukong-Belladonna kids for a moment, trying not to seem _too_ excited.

"Yeah, well, we haven't really committed yet. I don't have a lot of freedom outside work. _And_ it's a fairly high-stress job that is _quite_ dangerous. Sun's also basically _permanently_ on tour with his racing team, and I don't think it would be smart to bring a newborn around a bunch of excessively loud race cars and crowd- you seem far too excited about this."

 _Shit, I've been caught!_

She looked out the window, shaking her head idly.

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"Uh huh. Suuure."

"Children, _really,_ Blake?"

The Faunus smiled. She seemed really giddy about it, almost.

"Yeah, I kinda really want one. It's just not feasible right now for us."

Weiss paused, pondering the idea of what having kids would be like for herself, before Blake interrupted her train of thought.

"I mean, it's certainly _financially_ feasible for us, we definitely make enough money to support kids. It's just..."

"You don't think you're ready?"

She watched Blake's face shift a few times. The faunus seemed...pensive at first, as if she was considering whether or not she really _was_ ready.

"No, it's not that..."

"You don't think Sun could be a good dad?"

Her tablemate actually burst out laughing.

"No, I think he'd make an excellent father. Actually, we've been doing a lot of babysitting for his sister's kids recently. You remember Sky, right?"

Weiss shook her head.

"Sky Wukong? Blond, muscular, excitable, basically the girl version of Sun? Weren't you at her wedding?"

"I don't think so."

Blake paused, before waving her hand absently.

"Not important for the story. Anyway, Sky has us looking after her twin boys when she and her husband go on business trips back to Menagerie or to Vacuo. And if I'm honest, I've never seen him so _relaxed_ and at home than when he's playing with the toddlers. It's like he... gosh I don't even know."

Weiss watched the other woman ponder. She had a very pleased smile on her face, as she reached into her coat and pulled out her scroll. The screen lit up, and she watched the faunus flip through her screens, as if looking for something. She seemed to settle on an image in her picture gallery.

"Here, look..."

Weiss took the phone as it was offered to her. The image on the screen showed everyone's favourite monkey-faunus, in a pair of cargo shorts and a flowery shirt, a big smile on his face and two blond toddlers perched on his shoulders. They were standing at the scenic overlook point at the Emerald Forest back in Vale, and the two boys had clear residue of ice cream on their cheeks. Weiss remembered Sun having a certain... livelihood in his expression usually, but this was different. He seemed... more alive, somehow.

He had a defined sparkle in his smile. Like he was really and truly happy with being a parent. Weiss sniffled. In terms of _physical_ means, she wouldn't ever be a parent herself without the use of money and science. She couldn't stop the small amount of jealousy from pouring into her heart. She remembered hating Sun a few years ago for encroaching on their closeted little friend group. But more recently, she had found herself less and less arbitrarily upset by the tall blond monkey-man. In her eyes, he had become perfect for her former teammate. And now there was the possibility of him being even _more_ perfect? Well, gosh darn.

"You're right. He looks very _dad_ -ish here."

Blake took her scroll back.

"Yeah, that was when we took Sky's boys to the Forest for a road trip."

Weiss cocked her eyebrows for effect.

"A road trip, you say?"

"Yeah, for camping. You know, Sun actually started showing the twins how to fight. It was _seriously_ cute to watch them try and emulate him with tree branches."

"I suppose you don't have any pictures of this?"

Blake leaned back with a smile.

"I have a video on my computer at home. It's pretty cute."

Damn right it would be cute. In her head at the moment was a little image of the two boys hitting Sun in the legs with sticks, and him just doing that cheeky, stupidly attractive laugh. Her cheeks flared. Did he _have_ to be attractive? She was gay! Not even a little bit interested in men!

"Yeah, I guess it would be..."

Uh oh. She was distracted by the bad thoughts again. It was time to cover her tracks, and quickly. Her mind raced furiously as she tried to formulate a plan.

"I mean, uh..."

Blake chuckled, cutting her off.

"No I understand. Thinking about Sun gets _me_ all hot and bothered, too."

Her cheeks had refused to calm down, as if it was protesting against her.

"Don't be absurd! I am a lesbian, Blake. I have no interest in your boyfriend."

"No, no, it's fine. Would you like to borrow him?"

"No!"

"Are you _suuuure?"_

Weiss sent her a vicious glare. It had no effect.

"I love Ruby!"

Blake laughed at her. _Directly_ at her! Like she didn't believe it! The woman leaned back in her chair, her chest rising and falling quite harshly with each breath. She finished her little laugh-based betrayal with a contented sigh, leaning against the window. One of her feline ears folded against the glass, wiggling slightly.

"You do, eh? Well I guess that's good..."

Weiss blushed. Perhaps her outburst was a little much, she thought.

"Well, I, uh... I'm glad you... think so?"

Her brain seemed a little lax this morning. The lack of sleep and the harsh coffee were doing weird things to her brain at the moment. She was distracted briefly by a car passing by on the street outside. A silver Hunter _Switchback_ coupe she guessed as it drove past, the car's louder-than-normal exhaust note rattling the window slightly. She frowned internally. As annoying as it had been earlier that she knew so much about cars, she had grown used to it by now. Ruby seemed to like it, anyways. Blake lifted her head off the glass, probably due to the car's passing as well. She spoke again, her voice a little softer.

"You know, I think you and her are right together. You...match I think."

Weiss nodded slowly, as she was unsure where she was going with this.

"Like, Ruby I think _needs_ someone like you. More specifically _actually_ you. You've basically been dating since first year, from my memory."

Weiss brought a hand up to her chest, feigning offence.

"We have _not!"_

"You kinda have, Weiss. You guys used to hold hands, go on dates, _sleep in the same bed..."_

"That was because of her dumb dog! And it was only once!"

Blake looked at her over a pair of invisible glasses.

" _Four_ times. And once there was no reason to even do it, you just _wanted_ to."

Weiss pursed her lips and tried to look offended. The tome she was referring to was the night following their beach trip to Vacuo in third year, where they had booked a hotel with only two beds. Weiss had elected to sleep with Ruby, leaving Yang to glare angrily at her pretty much all three days. Then, when they had got back to the school, on impulse Weiss had slept in Ruby's bed again, garnering even _more_ angry looks from Yang. How did Blake even remember that! It was years ago!

"Yeah, well... as long as Yang doesn't know I think I'm fine admitting it. I value my life very much."

Blake smiled, and she looked genuinely pleased for a second. Her cheery attitude was quickly broken by a yawn, her mouth opening and her chest rising significantly. Weiss could see into the woman's mouth as she stretched, the cat-like corrugated roof of her mouth seeming to flex as she did. Blake sighed as she shut her mouth.

"Yeah, she seems overly oblivious to the two of you. She's very protective of her little sister, after all. I'm surprised the she didn't rip his damn head off..."

Blake's attitude shifted _violently_ from happy to distant. Weiss tilted her head in her friend's direction.

"You mean..."

Blake's shoulder's slumped, prompting Weiss to cock her eyebrows.

"Yeah, I..."

Blake paused, mid-sentence, furrowing her brow and sitting up.

"Actually, can I tell you something?"

Weiss nodded, curious. Blake looked around the empty shop, as if looking for an invisible eavesdropper. There was none, of course, but the faunus woman leaned in anyways and lowered her voice to a hush. Weiss leaned in herself.

"I just... hmm, how do I explain this in an easy way... You know that Ruby had some..."

There was a pause, and Weiss tried not to wince.

"... _problems_ with Pyrrha's partner, right?"

Weiss nodded, again.

"How much do you _actually_ know?"

"I know that he was less than consensual with her, and that's all I _need_ to know to know that next time I see him, I'm going to filet him like a fucking fish."

The force to which she made her delivery with caused Blake to pause, raising her brow. Weiss reached up and adjusted her glasses on her nose. However, Blake's sudden change of tone made her reconsider her smug attitude.

"Less than cons- oh, _honey._ You have no idea, do you?"

"Wh-what do you mean?"

The other woman leaned back, a pitiful smile on her face. There was no joy in her expression. Only anger.

"Look, this might seem like a stupid and completely out-of-place question to you, but how many trips to the clinic do you think I've made?"

Weiss frowned. The question did seem out of place.

"Uh, none? You never really got sick at school."

The faunus shook her head.

"No, not that. The... ' _clinic'."_

Weiss's breathing stopped, her eyes wide.

"...n-none?"

Blake stared at her, and slowly raised her index, middle and ring finger. Weiss gasped.

"Blake, I'm sorry..."

"I wasn't there for me, either."

"But, I don't-"

"I was bringing Ruby."

Weiss chocked on air. _What?_ There for...Ruby? Her head started to spin. Blake spoke again, quieter this time.

"You know, after a while, the body can build up tolerance and immunity to certain forms of medication. And that includes the morning after pill."

Weiss had to look away. Her heart had just reached maximum beat, and it was trying to hammer itself out of her chest. He had done _what?!_

"She came to me, I don't know why, but she did. Asked me to help her out. She refused my insistence that she go on birth control, as well. Something about her dad seeing her health insurance requests and freaking out."

Weiss tried her utmost to not scream at the top of her lungs. She elected a harsh whisper instead.

" _Why didn't she come to me?! Or Yang?!"_

Blake shrugged, but more in a dejected fashion than earlier.

"She said she was scared. Said she could trust me not to kill anyone. Which, judging by your reaction now, was a good choice on her part."

Weiss's head was now fully spinning. She reeled back in her chair, not fully able to process what she had just been told.

"You...I..."

Her throat was convulsing violently, not allowing words to form in full, stopping at only minimal monosyllabic sounds. Her shoulders twitched, making her shake in her seat. The chair legs squeaked on the polished hardwood floor, making her ears twitch. Blake wouldn't make eye contact. Those amber orbs were pointed away, and had lost most of their usual glow. Her brain fell into gear. She knew what she needed to do. She needed to go to Ruby. The chair squeaked again as she pushed away from the table and tried to stand up.

"W-we n-need..."

Her legs were shaking far too much to hold her weight, but somehow she found herself standing up. Blake had somehow also made her way onto her feet, and had a very serious expression on her face.

"I need to see Ruby. _Now_."

Blake nodded, extending her hand to her. Weiss took it, steadying herself upright. She stumbled through the little shop, almost knocking over a chair as she made her way back to the door with the faunus in tow. She struggled to place her hand on the door handle. The cold winter air rushed into the store as she got the door cracked open with her shaking hands, and she stumbled out into the night. Blake's hands caught the fabric of her coat, stopping her from falling over and into the thick snowbank at the edge of the road. Her mind was a wreck. He had done _what_ to _her?_ She refused to believe it. Three times? _Three fucking times?!_

Before she realized what had happened, they had reached the car again, and the other woman had pulled the door open and lowered her into the passenger seat of the large black sedan. The door closed loudly beside her with a dull thud, and a flash of black jacket whipped around the front of the car, followed by the sound of the driver's door being pulled open as well. The motor started up in front of her.

"Hold on."

Weiss turned to her right, to see Blake, sitting in the driver's seat and buckling up her seatbelt. The woman reached over to the little control box on the console, picking it up in her right hand. She flicked a switch, pulling the column shift lever into gear with her left hand. The car surged forward out onto the street, picking up speed with gusto. Her attention was turned out the windshield. All the buildings around them were flashing blue and red. Everything whipped by in the windows, and the sound of the car's powerful engine filled her ears, along with the sound of the car's whooping siren.

They were ringing. She could barely hear anything. The whole world was muffled. Was this what hatred felt like? An intense burning in the chest, ringing of the ears, and horrible shakes? Everything was numb. The car lurched over, avoiding a car that refused to pull over, making her smack her head on the padded window sill. Only very briefly she snapped out of it. The hospital loomed into view at the end of the street. Inside were two women harshly affected by _him._ Her heart lurched.

There was Ruby, a girl who had been so innocent and naive, who had quantified his actions as 'dating' so as to not make her sister angry. Dating? Fuck off with that shit. He had only _used_ her as a toy. One he had broken. One that only _she_ could fix.

And then there was Pyrrha.

Her story was... different. She had been infatuated by the blond boy since the very first day of school. She pressured him into learning to fight, spending every night on the rooftops practising. That increased strength had gone to waste, as she had just found out. But the redheaded warrior hadn't stopped there. She took the man to the dance, insisted he spend time with her, and physically _dragged_ him away whenever he was around...Ruby?

Something was coming together in her head.

After Beacon had ended, or rather, had been levelled by terrorists, Pyrrha had gotten him to date her. She had been ecstatic. Over the goddamn moon, actually. It took no more than three months after that, and they had gotten married. Weiss remembered _this_ wedding. Ruby hadn't attended. She had asked the girl to be her plus one and everything. But, that was before she knew the whole story about their 'history'.

Something else stuck out to her. Blake's little comment about kids had made her pause earlier. He and Pyrrha had been married for two years, and they had never had any children. Pyrrha had never showed any interest in it either. It made sense now. Pyrrha had never wanted kids, because she knew she was terminal. She didn't want to bring any children into the world and then immediately leave it herself. On second though, that sounded familiar, actually. Bring a child into existence and then promptly leave and never return. Hadn't he done that himself?

The car surged forward on its brakes, and Weiss almost fell out of her seat. In her angered state, she had neglected her seatbelt. She steadied herself, one hand against the dashboard and the other against the door as the car came to a quick halt. A glance out the window showed that they were back at the entrance to the facility, the large red sign on the front of the building illuminating the snow around them ominously. Weiss fumbled for the door latch. She found it, after a brief moment of forgetting how her hand worked. She opened the door, but paused, as her driver hadn't made any indication she was going to follow.

"You coming?"

Blake shook her head.

"No, you go. She needs _you."_

Weiss stared for a second. Blake's expression was serious, and her ears flat against her scalp. The flashing red and blue lights of the large car reflected vividly in the amber glow of the faunus's eyes. She nodded. It was time to go inside and find her friend. No, her _girlfriend._ The girl who needed her most right now. Weiss stepped out of the car and shut the door behind her. The police lights shut off, leaving only the red glow from the hospital's sign. She remained outside for a second listening to Blake's car pull away and onto the street, the cold air calming her a little. The building loomed. There were no exterior lights on on the building's face or parking lot, and all of the rooms were darkened.

Save for one, on the third floor. It was still lit. Based on her own internal compass, she didn't need to guess who's room it was. She stared at it for a second. Pyrrha was up there, probably asleep, and Ruby was likely sitting next to her, scared out of her wits. She didn't need to be. Weiss was here now. She kept looking up as she went to take a step forward.

The light turned off.

Her heart stopped. So did her legs. She couldn't move, staring up at the window that not a moment ago was lit. She willed her legs to move as her brain _exploded_ into cacophonous screaming. Her body ached.

Then, for the _second_ time, she made her way inside.

The hospital was no more welcoming than it had been last time. The lobby lights were turned off, and the chairs were all pushed to one side of the room. The sound of a floor buffer reverberated through her like it was actually inside of her head. It was the only sound around. She stepped towards the round reception desk. The woman behind it spoke in the same aggressive tone as yesterday, before turning to see her.

"Visitation is- _oh._ Uh, go ahead."

Her tone shifted. It went from ' _get out of my face'_ to ' _I'm so sorry'_ in a split second. With all the noise in her head, Weiss barely comprehended what the woman had said. She marched past the desk, over to the open elevator and mashed her finger into the little button with the number three dimly lit on it. The doors closed.

" _Please. Not now..."_

The sound of her own voice made her want to cry. She could hear the tears forming in her throat. But she couldn't feel them. The screaming in her head was so deafening that she couldn't feel her extremities. The elevator lurched again, indicating it had arrived at the third floor. The doors opened. Weiss nearly _fell_ out. She glanced to her right, down the empty halway, then to her left. Her heat leaped into her throat.

There was the girl, her face hidden by a curtain of reddish-brown hair. She had one hand placed against the wall, as if to support herself, and the other was pressed to her mouth. Weiss could see her shoulders shaking. She was unable to stop the outburst from her own mouth.

"R-Ruby!"

She stumbled forward as the girl turned her head to face her. Her eyes stopped Weiss dead in her tracks. They were not the bubbly silver she was used to. Nor were they full of life and smiling widely.

They were bloodshot red.

The tears refused to come, held back by some immeasurable feeling. She held her hand out towards the girl she loved. The hand shook in front of her, as if all of her years of balance and discipline training were for naught. The crying girl looked as if she wanted to step forward an embrace her. But then, Ruby did the one thing Weiss hoped she never would.

Ruby took a step _back_.

And Weiss could _feel_ her heart break. Ruby took her hand from her mouth. There was very clear evidence on her face that she had been crying quite hard in the last little while. Her face was stained with tear streaks and salt residue. She saw the girl's face contort and wince from her place down the hall. Her mouth opened to speak. Her voice was broken and gone.

"Weiss, I..."

She looked away, her hand returning to her mouth. Her voice was muffled.

"I'm sorry."

Weiss forced her words out with all the strength she could muster. It actually hurt to see Ruby this upset and damaged. She wanted more than anything in the world to rush over and tackle the younger girl and never ever let go.

"Ruby, there's nothing to be sorry about..."

A hand was raised.

"I need to... I'm not..."

Weiss tried to move, but found herself frozen in place. She watched Ruby's face scrunch up, and the girl wipe her face on her sleeve.

"Ruby, I-"

"No. I can't."

Weiss's legs forced her forwards. One step. Two steps. Three? Ruby took another step backwards. Her heart imploded.

"I'm not... strong enough..."

 _Strong enough?_ Was she joking? This was not the time for that.

"But-"

"No. I have to fix something. But I can't. I'm not strong enough."

"I can help you, Ru-"

Ruby shook her head quite hard, her hair flopping around.

"No. I need to do this alone."

Alone?

No. This was not acceptable.

Not now.

"Ruby, we're teammates. I'm here to help yo-"

"No! I don't want your help! I have to do this!"

That was the point she snapped.

"Ruby Rose, you will listen to me! You need my help and I am _going_ to help you. You _are_ strong enou..."

She had to stop shouting. Ruby had recoiled even further into her skin.

"No, Weiss... please... P-Pyrrha said... she said..."

Ruby couldn't finish her statement. She stepped to the side, bracing herself against the wall. Was this happening? She wanted to scream for her to stop talking. The world was tunnelling in on her vision. She knew how Ruby was feeling. Alone, scared, damaged. She didn't want her Ruby to feel this way.

"Ruby..."

Their eyes met. Ruby's eyes were a mix of intimidating _and_ intimidated at the same time. She looked scared. Weiss's brain had reached full meltdown.

"I'm sorry, I just..."

There was a pause. Ruby looked away, before looking back into her eyes a second time. Ruby turned her back to her, facing the staircase that was within a few feet of her.

 _Oh no. Please. No._

And with that, Ruby left.


	22. Chapter 22: Black Umbrella

Chapter 59

"Ticket to Anfang. One way, with heavy cargo."

The desk attendant nodded, typing away at his computer. The station was mostly devoid of life, save for herself and this one older gentleman who sat in the waiting room. The ticket machine on the other side of the counter whirred, spitting a decent sized piece of paper out the top.

"One hundred eighty-five lien, ma'am."

Ruby made no movement other than to pull her wallet out of her coat pocket and grab her credit card. The man handed her the card reader, which was much heavier than she was expecting for such a small and otherwise unassuming device. Her card went through without issue and the man with the thick accent behind the counter handed her the ticket and a small slip of a receipt.

"This is for the cargo gate. They will direct you where to park your vehicle. Your seat is in the fifth carriage behind the locomotive. We leave in thirty-one minutes."

"Th-thank you."

"We hope you enjoy your trip."

Ruby sniffed and wiped her nose on her sleeve and nodded to the man, turning away from the ticket desk. Stepping back outside was not a pleasurable experience in the slightest. The air was frigid and the wind cut through her like a knife. The damp mess of tears that was her face made it worse. It felt like she was frozen solid. The snow had also made its way into her boots, and her feet were both cold and damp and one hundred percent miserable. Her breathing hitched. She reached a hand out to the door handle of her truck. She could see her fingers were shaking, even within the thick gloves she was had found under her seat. They were a few sizes too big and likely Yang's. She'd get them back eventually. Probably.

The door opened without drama _this time._ Clambering up into the cab, she quickly and carelessly put the key into the ignition slot. Except she had missed. The keys clattered to the floor with a pitched jingle. Ruby frowned at them despondently. A morose, languid feeling permeated her. Did she want to reach down to the damp floor to get her keys? No. Did she anyways? After a single, solitary sob, she reached down and picked up the keys again, making sure they found their way into the ignition slot in the column. She turned the key. The starter whined loudly against the flex plate, turning the leviathan motor lifelessly over a few times without lighting off. Her hand fell from the ignition, and she pressed her forehead to the wheel, screwing her eyes shut painfully.

 _Why me..._

With her head still hammered into the wood circle, she reached up and turned the key again. The engine once again turned over a few times, sputtering. The cold air was doing _great_ things for the old engine, it seemed. She gave a few pumps of the accelerator pedal, trying to coax the old vehicle into life. With a few loud and aggressive wheezes, the huge big-block roared into life.

 _Useless..._

The heavy truck pulled forward fairly seamlessly in the snowy parking lot, around a line of cars illuminated by the aftermarket fog lamps. The heavy engine rumbled quietly as it tugged the mass across the lot, vibrating up into the cabin, through the seat, and up her spine. Ruby shivered. A sign pointed towards the loading area, being to the left at the end of the lot and down a short ramp. Coming to a stop at the bottom after only a brief argument with the anti-lock brake system, she rolled her window down, feeling the window's crank gears grinding slightly. They felt worn out. As did she. A cursory glance down at her receipt showed the gate's six digit code. Zero-two, one-four, nine-two.

"Huh."

Her heart fluttered almost painfully. That number was unreasonably familiar. Placing imaginary slashes between each pair of numbers, the code was very clearly a birthday. She scrunched the receipt up and tossed it into the passenger footwell, clenching her teeth and sticking her left arm out the window. She punched in the code, trying to ignore the obvious connotation the numbers carried, and waited rather impatiently for the gate to open. It took a few too many seconds to process her request, but it did yield and the long, reflective-tape covered arm rose to attention, welcoming her to the cargo loading dock. Down a second little ramp she went, and a man in a high-visibility jacket over his winter coat waved her over. She pulled up, reaching down into the footwell and grabbing the previously discarded paper, coming to a stop next to the cargo handler. She handed him her receipt, which he took a look at while holding the slip of paper up to his face, as if he had forgotten his glasses at home.

"Right, uh. You are in car three. Pull in after the transport truck _und_ give your keys to Sven inside. He will make sure your car is secured."

"Thank you, sir."

"Enjoy your trip, _Fraulein._ _Auf Wiefersehen."_

The smile she faked actually hurt. She pulled the truck towards the large train, which had a large sliding panel on the side that was open. Her breathing was ragged as she cranked the old handle back up again. When the truck's front wheels hit the edge of the train, she could feel the carriage rock slightly under the weight of the large Valean vehicle. Another cargo handler stood behind a cargo truck with a ratchet strap in his gloved hand, and a high-visibility jacket on over his coat as well. At least safety was paramount, even at four in the morning. She drove forward. It felt weird to drive her truck _on a train_ , but she followed the gestured instructions of the other cargo handler regardless. She pulled up and stopped, stepping out of the cab. She handed her keys to the man in the yellow vest, who gave her short instructions on how to get back to the passenger compartment in very broken Valean.

Following his directions, Ruby found her way through the train carriages, only briefly halted by a door that seemed to have a wonky latch. The passenger compartment was quite lush. Each passenger had their own little 'pod' with a sliding door closing them off to the outside world. Ruby checked her ticket. Car five, seat seventeen. It was on the right side of the cabin, about halfway down. She slid her bag into the pod first, stripping her coat off her shoulders as she did. Ruby _fell_ into her seat, her head slung low. It hurt.

 _Everything_ hurt.

She slid the pod's door shut, closing off the rest of the carriage from her. She was _tired._ Tilting her head back and wiping her face with her sleeve, Ruby closed her eyes. The distinct rumble of the locomotive powering up coursed through the cabin quietly, shimmying up her spine and into her head.

 _All you're good for is running away_

Her heart hurt most of all, it seemed. Every beat was a painful one. Less like a drum and more like a hammer directly on her sternum.

 _Wham-Wham._

Pain.

 _Wham-Wham._

Pain.

Desperately, she wanted to sleep. Get her mind out of the waking world where everything sucked and into the sleeping one, where things only sometimes did. The lights in the cabin dimmed, and she was surrounded by only the dim pink mood-lighting in her pod. Ruby sighed with a sustained sob.

 _She came. And you left._

Her eyes screwed shut even harder, her teeth clenched. Her left hand fell against the door panel, making a soft thudding sound. It hadn't hurt, no, but it had been enough to make her feel it. She had run away. Violent, searing pain was omnipresent in her body. Not physical pain, mind you.

 _And why?_

Ruby's cheeks were flooded again. The shame of her actions had hit her hard. Running away like a coward. She had just got up and left.

 _Because you're worthless._

She cried silently as the train shuddered a little underneath her. It had began to move forward. And now, she was on her way back home. Well, less 'home' and more 'house'. The bungalow in Anfang never felt like home. It had always just felt like a place she slept between going to work. The distant sound of the train's raucous air horn made her jump a little. Perhaps she wasn't going to go back to the stupid bungalow, she figured. Aside from the acceleration of the train, there was a definite pressing feeling on her chest. Like a fifty-pound weight holding down on her, pressing into her seat. She lay her head on the wide glass window, content to her sobbing.

 _Remember Pyrrha?_

Oh no. Her heart burned harder. Ruby slumped downward in her seat, clamping one hand over her mouth to stop her quiet sobs from becoming screams. She had been there. Watched it happen. Watched that buxom chest rise and fall for the last time. It had happened so quietly, without occasion. She had been woken from her sleep when the hand she was holding clamped down on hers a little harder. And then, without even opening her eyes, the woman on the bed had slipped away.

 _And then you left. Is all you're good for is running?_

She didn't want to agree with herself. It hurt. She cried. Pyrrha was gone, and there was nothing she could do about it.

 _You could have saved her. If you were stronger._

That wasn't possible! Strength meant nothing in this case!

 _But you're weak, aren't you?_

Ruby bit down on her hand, screaming quietly into it. Her chest heaved forward, and the train rocked underneath her, now reaching almost it's top speed of six-hundred kilometres per hour. The carriage wheels _clickity-clack'd_ along the rails outside of the well-soundproofed cabin. The noise of the train was mostly drowned out anyways by the ringing.

 _You could have tried, but you didn't. You could have yelled, but you didn't. You just lay there and took it._

At this, she _did_ cry out. If anyone was trying to sleep around her, they likely were now awake. She bit down harder on her hand, almost to the point of drawing blood. A soft knock on her pod's panel caused her to jump. The thickly-accented voice coming from the other side was a lot sweeter than the one in her head.

" _Are you alright, ma'am? You sound distressed."_

Ruby gasped for air as she released her hand from her mouth. There were eight distinct teeth marks in it now. One was even bleeding a little. She pulled the panel silently open, seeing a stewardess in a blue pencil skirt and matching cotton jacket standing on the other side. She had a very concerned look on her face.

"Would you like to see _und_ drinks menu?"

She nodded wordlessly, and the woman procured a small laminated pamphlet, placing it in Ruby's hand. She looked at it. Everything was overly fruity and made-up sounding. She pointed to something at the bottom of the menu.

"Whisky, straight."

That was how her uncle took his drinks, too. Or, it _had_ been, before he had quit drinking at Winter's request. The stewardess nodded before retreating to the back of the cabin, a hint of regret at asking visible in her eyes. Ruby knew she didn't exactly look like someone who should be drinking, let alone drinking whisky straight up with no mix. A few moments later, the woman returned with a small chrome tray, with a glass and a bottle of brown liquid perched upon it. She placed the two objects on the tray table that was in front of the seat, taking leave again with another worried look on her face. Inner Ruby scoffed as she pulled the door panel closed again, closing herself off from the world.

On principle, Ruby didn't drink. Her uncle had been a miserable wreck because of it, and she had never wanted to turn out like him. But today was different. She just wanted to be _asleep._ And if that meant drinking until it happened naturally, so be it. Anyone who judged her could go fuck themselves, for all she cared. She reached forward and grabbed the stopper off the bottle, and poured herself a _full_ glass of the strong-smelling fluid. The bottle clattered back to the tray, as she had let go of it before it had actually touched the table. She brought the glass to her face, giving it a tentative sniff.

 _Sweet dreams._

She recoiled slightly, a pitiful frown on her face. It smelled like what she imagined death to smell like. Nevertheless, she brought the rim to her lips and tilted the glass up. _Immediately_ everything started burning. The whisky tried to burn through her esophagus, but she fought it down, right to the last drop. Once the glass was empty, she brought it down from her mouth and coughed loudly. Her lungs were _searing_ in pain, as was her mouth and nose. It hadn't hit her yet. She poured another glass.

 _So you're dealing with the death of your friend the same way your uncle did. Nice move._

Her inner voice needed to be silenced. The second full glass was put down just as hard as the first. Now she was certain her insides were actually burning.

 _Remember the Dustmas party? You got drunk, and let_ _ **him**_ _do what he wanted to you willingly?_

A third glass was sent down to follow the first two. And then a fourth. The world rocked underneath her, and a haze had fallen over everything.

 _You just... can't stop... gonna..._

It was working. The pain was going away, replaced by the agony of the drink flooding her system. She lay her head back, a fifth glass filled in her hand. At even the slightest inclination of resistance, she was going to down it. At this point it was nearly sixteen ounces of whisky in her system. She gave a pitiful smile, closing her eyes. The booze had finally hit her, now. Her vision was fading, and her limbs were going numb.

 _Remember...Jau-_

She finished the fifth glass.

And the world went black.

/.../

 _The air outside was warm. Ruby sighed, leaning her back against the tree trunk where she had found her partner sitting, doing her homework. The girl in the white skirt smiled as she sank down to the ground._

" _Hello, Ruby."_

" _Hey, Weiss. What's up?"_

 _The other girl turned her textbook towards her. A lot of the page displayed was highlighted in yellow, and there were little notes written in pen in the margins._

" _I am studying for the Grimm Studies test we have next week. I would have recommended that you do so as well, but I figure you'll just ignore me and go play with your sister or something."_

 _Ruby shrugged noncommittally. She leaned over and placed her head on Weiss's right shoulder. A hand found her hair and gave it an affectionate ruffle. Ruby giggled very loudly internally. She liked when Weiss was comforting like this for no reason._

" _How was work last night?"_

 _She snorted. Ruby_ hated _her job, but it paid decent money for what she needed to afford. Gas, cookies, stuff like that._

" _Ugh, I wanted to die. Mister Neilsen had me out all night. Apparently there are two new stores that need delivery now, and they're literally on the opposite sides of town from each other, which adds like two hours to the schedule."_

" _Mmm hmm..."_

 _Weiss's cheek met the top of her head and rubbed a small circle._

" _What, did you miss me, or something?"_

" _No, I did not miss your annoying bouncing and your overly chipper attitude. And I certainly didn't miss your puppy-like pouting for me to watch movies with me on the couch."_

 _Ruby could feel the girl's smile through the top of her head._

" _Did you watch any without me anyways?"_

" _It wouldn't have been the same without you, Ruby."_

 _Aww, how cute. Ruby giggled, rolling over slightly and putting her right arm over Weiss's stomach._

" _So what did you guys do while I was slaving away in the milk van?"_

 _Weiss put her history textbook down and picked up her notebook, flipping through a few pages. She settled on one with the title 'ten-metre class Grimm' scrawled on the top. Weiss slid her right hand over Ruby's, lacing their fingers together and holding her notebook in her left._

" _Well, I studied for physics, Blake was reading her smut, and I think Yang was out sparring with Pyrrha at the gym. It was a little lonely without you. The room was too quiet for too long."_

 _Ruby hummed contentedly, letting her eyes drift shut. Today was quite tranquil. All of her worries had been washed away the instant she had caught Weiss doing her homework under this large oak tree. But now, she felt even better._

" _Hey, Little Red."_

 _Riiight up until now. Her heart skipped, and she opened one eye. The blond boy stood above the two of them, his black hoodie blocking out the sun. Weiss groaned silently, and spoke first._

" _What are you doing here, Jaune? Trying to woo me again? I've told you a thousand times I'm not interested."_

 _He held up a hand to silence her. It very nearly worked, too. Just as she was about to rip off on him for acting so blase, he spoke again._

" _I'm not here for you, snow angel. Ruby and I had planned to hang out this afternoon. Right, Ruby?"_

 _She cringed. She could feel Weiss's hand clench down on hers._

" _I think Ruby's had a change of heart. She promised to help me stud-"_

"Let's go, Ruby."

 _The way his words pierced her made her jump. Ruby wiggled her hand out from Weiss's grip, who let go_ very _reluctantly. She stood up, taking as much time as she could getting to her feet. The look in Weiss's eyes was almost fearful. Ruby tried not to look afraid herself, choosing to adopt a fake smile instead._

" _Sorry, Weiss. But I_ did _promise him we would hang out today. Sorry. We can hang out tonight, though!"_

" _O-okay..."_

 _Ruby turned away, looking back at the still-seated Weiss. She looked so despondent. Jaune's hand found her lower back, pushing her forward from his position at her side. To an outsider, it would have looked like he was simply guiding her away. But it had felt like he was forcing her more than usual. She looked at him from the corner of her eye. His face was more focused than usual. More strained._

" _C'mon. This way."_

 _That was how he always talked to her. Direct. Forcefully. They approached the science building, and he pushed the door open, holding it for her and guiding her inside. This building was deserted today, as there were never science classes on Thursdays. The lights were all at half-brightness, and the fans spun slowly on the high ceiling of the lobby. He guided her along one of the long hallways, into a darker corner._

" _Now..."_

 _His hand gripped her skinny upper arm, twisting her around and pressing her back to the wall. She shuddered and looked down at his chest, not wanting to make eye contact. Not that it mattered, as his other hand gripped her chin and forced her to look up at him._

" _Want to explain that little display with your partner back there?"_

 _Ruby didn't reply. She didn't look at his eyes, focusing on his cheek instead. His eyes burned into her._

" _You know a good girl doesn't cheat on her boyfriend, Ruby. I am_ very _disappointed..."_

 _His voice trailed off, and he leaned in. Ruby closed her eyes, but not for her own enjoyment. Just so she wouldn't have to see it happening. The warmth that now enveloped her lips was very unpleasant. As always, she tried to picture something better than what was happening. Like that one time in Sun's room when she had kissed Blake. To her, right now, she was kissing the faunus girl who lived in the top bunk on the other side of their room. Blake was an aggressive kisser today. And a lot more... angry with her tongue. Fake-Blake's hand slid up her shirt and grabbed wantonly at her right breast, pressing her harder against the wall._

 _The course brickwork was rough against her back. Her legs quivered, as if they wanted to collapse and make her fall to the floor. But that would make him angry, probably. She didn't want him to be angry. Then he would have gotten scary. The front clasp on her bra snapped open, and her chest heaved only slightly forward. She felt shamed. Her breasts were not all that big, and he always complained. And now they were getting sore from his aggregations._

 _And she stood there and let it happen. It was better than the alternative, anyways. Perhaps if she let him get handsy, he wouldn't actually go any further again. His calloused, rough hands tugged at her chest, twisting onto the little pink nub on the peak of her boob. It hurt. He was being too rough._

 _But then, as quickly as he had started, his hands pulled away from her, and he stepped back, pulling her shirt down. She stayed against the wall, confused._

" _...So as I was saying there are certainly advantages to using shorter weapons, like a sword over a scythe."_

 _Two figures came around the corner, a little hurriedly. She looked to him, and his expression was quite angry. As if he was demanding her to back him up. She complied, but she couldn't figure out why she did._

" _Yeah, s-sure I gues-"_

"There _you are, Jaune. I've been looking all over."_

 _Ruby looked at the two new members. It was Pyrrha and Blake! Wait, how had they found them?_

" _H-hey, Pyr. What are you guys doing here?"_

 _Oh no. He sounded upset by their intrusion. Didn't they know it was a bad idea to make him angry?_

" _Jaune, you promised to train with me tonight, and you were late. So I employed the help of Blake to find you. You do remember that I dislike when you are late, correct?"_

 _Blake strode silently over to her, placing her body between her and Jaune. Her hand came up to her face, stroking her cheek. The look in Blake's face was frightened, almost apologetic. She could hear the anger in his voice, even from behind the shield of Blake's long black overcoat and her curtains of hair._

" _Look, Ruby and I were busy. Could the two of you please excuse us?"_

" _Actually I think you should come and train with me, Jaune."_

 _Pyrrha grabbed him by the arm, the cheery expression on her face hiding what felt like genuine loathing. She tried to shrug her off._

" _Pyrrha, I was busy, let go-"_

" _You. Will. Come. With. Me."_

 _She started pulling him away with force. She was taller and clearly stronger than he was, so pulling him away was no problem for her. The instant they were out of sight, Blake put her arms around Ruby and squeezed her into her bosom. Her whispered voice was reassuring._

" _You left Weiss, and she was upset with you. She called me to collect you for her. Frankly, I don't like being her errand boy, but I can always make exceptions when it matters most to her."_

 _Weiss had... asked Blake to come and get her? That was certainly unexpected. Being rescued like this felt bittersweet. She was grateful, sure, but she knew that next time around he would remember this intrusion and probably be even more forceful._

 _Blake guided her slowly away from the science building. The air outside had lost its warmth._

 _/.../_

 _A date? Had he just... asked her on a date?_

" _I uh... I mean..."_

 _He waved his hand dismissively, if a bit nervously._

" _Hey, it's no big deal if you say no. It was just a suggestion. N-not like..."_

 _She felt the red fill her cheeks, and a silly smile fell to her face. A date with Jaune? Gee, it was awful sweet of him to offer. She tried not to fidget nervously. But she did anyways._

" _I mean, what would Yang say? She might be mad if she caught you asking me..."_

 _He scratched the back of his head, smiling sheepishly._

" _W-well it's just a date, Ruby. I'm not asking you to marry me or anything."_

 _She shivered and smiled. This much was true._

" _I guess so, eh? I-I mean, where would we be going?"_

 _He pulled out his scroll, opening it and showing her a short list of some things he had clearly compiled that might interest her. Walk through town, go shopping, go see a movie. Maybe that last one?_

" _What movie were you gonna take me to?"_

 _She handed him back his phone, and he quickly pocketed it._

" _Well, Pyrrha suggested that I might like the new Trek Wars movie. I dunno if you would want to see that too?"_

 _Ruby smiled, and turned a little on her left foot. She remembered how much she liked the first six of them. Well, the first three. The sequel trilogy hadn't been that great._

" _I think that sounds goo- wait, Pyrrha suggested it?"_

 _That was odd. His change of expression was also odd._

" _Yeah, she wanted to take me the other day, but we had a test in the morning. Wasn't the best idea. Wait, do you have anything in the morning?"_

 _No, she didn't actually. She shook her head. But why did she feel a little guilty?_

" _Nope! Guess you're taking me on a date, then?"_

 _His smile made her blush. Like, uncontrollably. Her crush had literally asked her out, and she had just accepted. Her heart fluttered. What did dates even entail? Gosh, what was it that Yang had said? 'Make him buy you stuff so you can worry about being the hottest girl in the room?' Well, that didn't seem very fair. But hey, if it meant she got to go to a movie with her crush, then she guessed she could be alright with it._

" _Well alright then. I'll see you tonight."_

" _Of course!"_

 _/.../_

 _He was back._

 _This was the thirty-fifth occurrence._

 _And she knew it would be the same._

" _Hey, Little Red."_

 _That stupid pet name. She hated it so much. It made her deflate like a stuck balloon. All gone, all at once. The instant his fingers touched her cheek, she felt it. Everything was gone. All the hope, all the feeling, and all her willing. It was happening, and she couldn't do anything about it. She was physically and mentally done. Her face didn't drop, however. She had learned to hide_ _her depression and dejection from him. She didn't like when he yelled._

" _So, listen..."_

 _Her worried expression inside faltered. His voice sounded... apologetic? She flinched as his hand_ retracted _from her face. Her finger played nervously on a loose piece of string that stuck out of the hem of her shirt._

" _We can't see each other anymore. It's just not working out."_

 _Her heart did a full flip, careening around her chest like a bowling ball in a washing machine. Her face twitched._

" _Wh-what do you mean?"_

 _He shook his head, his pitiful smile very much forced._

" _We just don't work together. I'm leaving."_

 _This was... unexpected. But not unwanted. So why did she feel... sad? Her chest was hurting, like someone had run her through with a knife. No, a sword. Actually, a flaming sword. She felt..._

 _...ashamed._

 _What had she done? Had she made him upset? Was this her fault? No, certainly not. He was the bad guy, remember? But he didn't like being the bad guy. So it_ had _to be her fault. She tried to review the last thirty-four times. She had let him do what he wanted. So why did he want to leave? Was she not enough? Had she not done enough? The hurting returned._

" _Wh... I don't unde-"_

" _No, Red. It can't be anymore."_

 _There was a distinct lack of any apology. It was just 'here one day, gone the next' sort of end. Except in person. Her lungs burned._

" _But...why?"_

 _He shook his head again, saying nothing more. He turned away from her bedroom door, and walked back down the hall. With that, he was gone. His footsteps echoed down the hardwood hallway. Like a deep booming in her head, it was deafening._

" _I..."_

 _Her voice was quiet, and restrained cries. But she had no reason to cry, right? The... bad stuff would be over now, right? But now... there was no one._

 _What a pitiful statement._

 _But there really was. He had been... well, no he hadn't been there for her. But he was her... again, no he wasn't anything meaningful to her. He had abused her? No, because abuse implied she had not wanted it, right?_

 _Hadn't he been her crush?_

 _But he'd crushed her!_

 _It wasn't enough. Her heart burned, and as she watched him walk away, she felt..._

 _...lonely._

 _/.../_

 _The ruins surrounded her. Everything was on fire. The concrete everywhere had collapsed. Her lungs, filled with smoke, burned like a wild fire. She shouldered the heavy sniper rifle again, working the bolt and chambering another round. The view down the short-distance scope showed another small pack of Ursas surrounding a group of civilians. They looked afraid._

 _Crescent Rose shunted into her shoulder like a sledgehammer as the first round in the magazine found purchase in the head of one of the leading Ursa. It exploded like a fire cracker in a black tomato, raining on its allies. Her right hand shot up to the bolt, working the second round into the firing chamber. The second shot was just as violent as the first. She yanked back on the bolt handle. It jammed half way open. Taking her sight away from the few remaining Ursa, she brought the rifle down, fighting the dirty and broken weapon with both hands._

" _Come on, you piece of shit..."_

 _The errant shell came free, springing into the retaining wall she was standing next to with a ping of spent brass. The third round popped up along the follower, rocketing forward as she released the bolt handle and letting the slide move forward. She reshouldered the weapon, focusing back on the group._

 _She almost threw up._

" _Oh my god..."_

 _There were body parts everywhere. Only the three remaining Ursai were left in the clearing. Her hands shook so bad she couldn't bring herself to pull the trigger. All she could see was the places people_ used _to be. Blood stained the ground. She took a step backward, her heart trying to beat itself right out of her chest. Her body ached, and she very briefly lowered the weapon to take a short, sharp breath. She shouldered the weapon again, placing her cracked crosshairs on the tallest of the three remaining Ursai. She pulled the trigger._

 _Her shaking hands had made her miss, and the cobblestone ground exploded into a hail of gravel as the huge round impacted only a few centimetres shy of the Ursa's head. It turned, baring its teeth. Something was caught between its huge incisors. Her heart stopped._

 _A very small leg, wearing a very small shoe._

 _..._

 _..._

 _..._

 _Nope._

 _This was not acceptable._

 _She could feel it._

 _It was pain._

 _She could see the shine in her scope, reflecting the glow of her eyes. It was happening again. She could_ feel _her semblance rising to the surface, like a flame licking around her bones. Her hands shook, but she remained strong, flipping her sniper around, facing it behind her. Her breathing was ragged, and angry. It was painful. She took two angry, forceful steps forward, stepping up onto a broken piece of rubble. The Ursa roared up at her from the clearing below. Her eyes burned, a brilliant white light shining from them. Not even taking a moment to think about her strategy, her tact, or anything like that..._

 _Ruby charged forward._

 _The wind whipped around her, whipping her cape behind her in a flurry of rose petals. The weapon fired loudly, the recoil propelling her even faster toward her prey. The tunnel vision had closed in around her eyes, making the central beast the most prominent in her vision. Not much further now. Fifty meters. Twenty-five meters. One meter._

 _Using her blinding reflexes, she hit the release lever on her rifle. The heavy rotary springs clicked open with immediate and violent force, opening the sniper's huge scythe blade and locking it into place. Not even a millisecond later, the blade hooked itself around the beast's chest. Her onslaught of speed was stopped as quickly as it had started, her legs in a wide stance, and her cape billowing around her with a flurry of rose petals._

 _She pulled the trigger. The rifle's incredible recoil drove the large curved blade through the beast's torso, cleaving the large animal in two. Its roar became a scream, and was so very suddenly silenced. The air fell silent for a few moments as the large corpse hit the ground. It was eerie, as the only sound was the breathing of the other two Ursai that stood no more than ten metres away. She looked through her bangs at them, her head turned over her left shoulder. The closer one seemed to be hesitant. But the momentary pause lasted no longer, and the closer animal roared and went to jump forward._

 _Ruby didn't let it even begin to move._

 _She dashed towards it, spinning the large weapon around herself and landed a ragged slash into the huge bear's stomach. It screamed in agony, taking a few painful steps backwards on its hind legs, before falling onto its back. Black, pungent syrup flowed out of the wound and onto the ground. She realized that her jaw hurt from clenching her teeth as she turned to face the remaining animal. It roared at her, its glowing red eyes burning into hers. She sprung forward, firing the rifle backwards and closing the distance in a microsecond. She stopped a foot short, staring up into the animal's eyes. With one mighty, gargantuan swing, the business end of the scythe found a new home in the side of the beast's head._

 _She growled at the animal, which had just breathed its last. She could see the stained steel of her blade inside the skull through the beast's eye socket. The black liquid poured out the animal's mouth and eyes, and quite a lot of it poured out onto her boots. It smelled. Like suffering. She pulled the trigger again, and freed the weapon from her target via the face, taking the white armoured face plate with it. The huge beast slumped forward onto the ground._

 _A silence filled the air for a second time. The sounds of a distant truck moving quickly through the courtyards momentarily distracted her. She could hear the ragged breathing of the largest Ursa. She glanced over. It was still alive. Just. Its body was nearly cleaved in two, with an obtuse amount of blood flooding the ground. It looked like it was in pain._

 _Pitiful._

 _Ruby stomped over, letting the blood splash around her boots. The animal made a whine, looking like it was making one last feverish attempt to swipe at her, despite not having much in the way of life left. She placed her one of her steel toe boots upon the head of the animal, pressing down and forcing the head to one side. The barrel of her sniper comfortably sat against the beast's temple. She sniffed, wiping her face on the sleeve of her uniform. She looked down at it for a moment. Lucky for her, the Ursa was far too injured to ever regenerate. Her sleeves were torn, and her watch's face was smashed. She frowned. The Scroll SmartWatch was an expensive investment, and now it was damaged. It still showed she had missed two calls. From Weiss. The edges of her mouth curled upward only a tiny bit._

" _Huh."_

 _She pulled the trigger. The gun bounced upwards in her grip, the empty shell casing pinging off one of the beast's now exposed ribs. It was dead. Finally. The air in the clearing was dirty and smoke-filled. It was only now that she realized she was standing in a levelled house. One of the housing complexes that littered the campus. It was the Alpha house. Where the exchange students lived for the festival. The tears had long since started falling, and they were now a constant stream. Her breathing hitched as something howled at the sky in the distance._

 _Tonight, the howling would stop._

 _Tonight, redemption._

 _/.../_

 _The sound of the rain on her umbrella was much too loud. She didn't like loud. And the mud in her boots was soggy and wet. She didn't like soggy. Or wet!_

" _Daddy, I don't want to be here anymore."_

 _His hand clutched hers a little stronger._

" _Me neither, kiddo. Me neither."_

 _Was he crying? His voice sounded sad. Why was her daddy sad? She looked over her sister, who was trying to hide under her very own umbrella. Her long blond hair was all tied up today. In a black ribbon. That wasn't right. Yang didn't like black. She looked like she was gripping her umbrella too tight. Silly Yang. Rainy days were for being carefree, not angry! Someone started talking to everyone in the crowd._

" _And it is in passing of the seasons that we remember them most. As winter turns to spring, we remember how we enjoyed the snow and the warmth of the fireplace..."_

 _That was an odd way of putting it. She shivered in the cold, trying to move closer to her dad. His large, farmer hand dropped onto her shoulder, pulling her against his leg._

" _...and as spring becomes summer, we remember the joys of watching the flowers bloom, and playing outside in the cool air. Our crops, growing from mere seeds, and the new friends we made..."_

 _Her dad sniffled, loudly. She looked around, still clutching her umbrella. There were a lot of people here. Why was Uncle Qrow crying? And who was that man in the army outfit?_

" _...Yet it is as Summer turns to fall that we remember the happiest of memories. The freshly baked cookies at the market. The trips to the beach with family. The beautiful way the sun shone down on us all..."_

 _That reminded her of mommy! She tugged at her dad's pant leg. The unusually coarse black pants were not something he normally wore, she thought to herself. Anyways._

" _Daddy, where's mommy? Why isn't she here?"_

 _He didn't say anything. He just stood there, looking straight ahead. She wiggled her boots in the mud, making little divots. His grip on her shoulder increased, and he brought his hand to his mouth, covering it with the sleeve of his coat. Daddy never wore a black coat like this before. It was like a suit, almost! Come to think of it, she never really asked why she was wearing this black dress, anyways. She didn't like it very much. Oh well. At least she got to wear her favourite boots._

" _Daddy, can we go find mommy? I wanna go play with mommy!"_

" _Not now, Ruby. Not...now."_

 _His voice sounded like it was hurting. Maybe Yang?_

" _Yaaang, can we go play?"_

 _Her head fell onto her chest. She looked down to her feet. It looked like she was in pain. Was Yang hurting too? Why was everybody so sad? Didn't mommy once say rain was to be celebrated? Because it was good for crops? The man at the front talked again._

" _We remember the Summer because it was pure. Because it brought us joy. Summer was the best of us. The strongest, and the bravest. And now we mourn the passing. Be not sad for the loss. Be grateful for the time you had."_

 _Her dad shuddered next to her. He seemed very upset. Why? Ruby wanted to know. Maybe mommy could help him not feel so upset. Yes, of course! Mommy's hugs were the best way to feel better. She tugged at him again._

" _Daddy, I wanna go home to mommy."_

 _He sank to his knees and hugged her. A warm, cuddly hug. Like mommy's, only this hug felt sadder. She could hear him crying? Why was he crying? All he had to do was go hug mommy!_

" _Me too, Ruby. M-me too..."_

 _His voice sounded broken. So sad. She placed her short arms around his chest. Which was shaking. Oh no. She didn't like that. The rain was coming down around the edges of her dad's black umbrella. She could see over his shoulder. A large, brown box was sitting on a big green carpet. The rain was soaking the carpet. Someone had placed a bunch of flowers on top of the box. They were all roses. Red ones. That was mommy's favourite flower! Except she always put them in a vase. Flowers belonged in vases._

" _I'm so sorry, honey."_

 _Daddy's voice was broken, she noticed. He laughed at something. Ruby didn't know what. Maybe he was remembering a joke. Except the laugh didn't sound happy._

" _I'll take care of them. I promise..."_

 _He was whispering very quietly in her ear. But clearly not to her. She could see the box getting shorter. No, it was being lowered down into the ground. That explained it. Nobody else seemed to be looking at the box as it went down. Everyone seemed to not want to. Uncle Qrow was looking away on purpose. So was the man in the army outfit. He had a weird patch on his forehead. They both mouthed something, and the army man saluted the box. It went below the ground._

" _Goodbye...Summer."_

 _Daddy's body was shaking. He turned, putting his knee into the mud. His pants were now dirty. Maybe that meant it would be laundry day when they got home. Maybe mommy would carry her around in the basket again! That was so much fun! Then she would get cookies! But daddy didn't seem in any hurry to go home. He looked into her eyes. His face was all wet and his eyes were red._

" _Ruby, sweetheart, can you promise to be strong for me?"_

 _She didn't know what he was talking about. But daddy asked her, so she might as well say yes._

" _Okay, daddy. Can we go play with mommy now?"_

 _He nodded._

" _Can you be strong for mommy, too?"_

 _She smiled brightly. Of course!_

" _Yes, daddy. Where's mommy?"_

 _He just hugged her. Warmly. Yang joined them, too. Daddy and her were still crying. It almost made her cry, too. But what did she have to be upset about? Once they got home, they would just find mommy and play! R-right?_

" _Daddy? Whe-"_

" _I love you, sweetie. I'm sorry."_

 _/.../_

 _Kayaba Forest._

 _The embossed letters on the front of the dossier felt uncomfortable in her fingers. The Bullhead shuddered, rocking on a patch of turbulent air. Her shoulder brushed against the soldier on the adjacent seat. He made no comment or movement. For the probably eightieth time since it she had been handed the manila folder, she opened it._

Kayaba:

Extraction of Civilians, quelling Grimm forces, protect supply route.

Est. Time: two weeks

 _Below this was the map she had memorized by now. A simple overhead of the small town of Prion. The single road to and from the town had been overrun for the last half a year. So few huntsmen lived this far out in the country, and they had become overwhelmed, requiring the military to step in. Her elite squad would be there to act as scouts and provide cover for the new supply routes into the town. The convoy of army trucks would be waiting at the rendezvous point for them. They would resupply there. She closed the dossier. Her heart ached. This was the same mission her mother had taken, some eighteen years ago._

 _Her last one._

 _She wanted to turn around. The pilot would be required to comply, as she was his superior officer. She looked over at Cardin, who was checking his rifle. Well,_ he _was_ her _commanding officer, and if she said anything, he would probably veto that decision. She tucked the folder under her seat, letting it be. She didn't need to cry today. She had done enough of that last week, when she had received the stupid folder. She looked at her crew, simply as a distraction._

 _Nora sat directly across from her, with her huge grenade launcher placed across her lap. Contrary to her usual bouncy and unhinged attitude, she was quietly reading a book. Something hardcover, who's dust jacket had fallen off a long time ago, judging by the condition of the cover itself. She was uncharacteristically quiet, and it was kinda weird. Even Ren looked more lively than her. He was fiddling with one of his pistols, fighting the heavy calibre rounds into the magazine. He was humming to himself, something vaguely Vacuan-sounding. Cardin had the military-issue assault rifle in many pieces on his lap, and he was seemingly trying to oil the racking slide. They always jammed up on them, anyways. Some army budget they had._

 _She looked out the window. Nothing. Just fog covered the ground, some fifteen thousand feet below. She winced. Fighting in fog was never safe. Most Grimm had some form of rudimentary thermal vision, which would let them stalk prey more effectively in the very limited visibility that blanketed the forest. Why was it that the freaking_ Grimm _had evolved more effective ways of killing. It was not very fair. The ship rocked again, the huge jet turbines revving up as the pilot pivoted them to face downwards. The red warning light started flashing in the cargo hold, along with the door-open siren. Ruby's stomach lurched as the Bullhead came to a stop in the air._

" _Alright, buddy up. We don't want you landing alone in the fog."_

 _Cardin's voice was booming over the sound of the huge turbines. Ruby stood up, grabbing her rifle from the rack above her head. She hated this stupid assault rifle. The barrel was too short, the sight was non-magnifying, and there was no recoil-compensation. At least she had been allowed to paint it red._

 _The harsh, frozen air of the altitude they were at rushed into the cabin as the port-side door slid loudly open. Ruby shivered, even if her heavy combat gear was fairly well insulated. She stood next to Cardin. He was always her chute-buddy anyways. One final time, she checked the straps on her parachute, tugging them just that last tiny bit tighter. She pulled her goggles down off her hair, shielding her eyes from the cold, and pulled up her scarf over her mouth._

" _See you down at the rendezvous. Enjoy the jump! Go! Go! Go!"_

 _The soldiers jumped from the side of the ship two-by-two. The last two out the door before herself and Cardin were Ren and Nora, who had elected to leave the plane while holding hands. Good on them, eh? It must be nice to have found someone to love in such a torrid workplace. Not that they weren't together before. She just found the sentiment of jumping out of a plane together-together kind of heartwarming. Actually, it seemed like a reasonable tactic to not lose your chute-buddy. Cardin seemed to have come to the same conclusion, as he had his gloved hand extended to her. She took it. Why not?_

" _You ready, Agent Red?"_

 _She nodded._

" _Alright. Let's make history!"_

 _With his usual commanding, yet reassuring voice, she did indeed feel better. They both stepped out of the ship. Ruby's stomach_ immediately _tried to launch itself into her mouth. She always hated the first bit of the drop. The part before your body caught up with your head. The wind whipped around her hair and body, making her thick pants and jacket flap wildly around her muscular frame. The air was cold. Her rifle was tight against her chest, bouncing around from the immense airflow. She tried to keep hold of Cardin's wrist so she didn't float away. Down below her, she could see the other soldiers falling together, with a few feet between them._

 _She checked her altimeter on her wrist. They were rapidly approaching minimum height. Only a few seconds more. Her free hand found the pull strap. She could see her jump partner do the same. He raised his fingers, giving a visual countdown._

 _Three._

 _Two._

 _One._

 _They pulled together. Ruby felt the pilot chute extend, holding for a second. She knew that it would be about ten seconds before the main chutes would extend and halt their falls. She felt the pack open. She braced for the huge pull on her chest and shoulders..._

 _...There was a snap._

 _She was very suddenly yanked to one side, Cardin's hand being wrenched from hers. She shot her gaze upwards, screaming out into the night. The left-side cable had snapped, and had tangled itself around the other. Her chute was only half-open. She looked back to where Cardin had been. He was now just a speck of an olive-green sheet in the distance._

" _Oh fuck! Oh shit, oh fuck, oh shit!"_

 _She was falling with unrelenting force. Try as she might she couldn't get the right-side quick-release to come undone, and her knife was too far to reach in this semi-hanged position she was falling in. Her backup chute would just become as tangled as the primary if she released it now. She kept fighting with the stupid, awful, deadly release on the cable for a few moments more. A few moments too long, she soon found out._

 _The canopy of trees hit her boots like a bomb going off. Her legs screamed, and she almost did as well. The branches were like barbed wire on the small bits of exposed skin she had on her neck and face, giving her what felt like a thousand tiny cuts. As awful as it was, she was glad she had her-_

 _-and then the chute caught a branch and brought her to a grinding and horrifically painful halt. The pain from the tree? Like a soft cotton blanket compared to this. Nothing compared to this sudden stop. All of her internal organs threatened to become external organs via her feet. The heat in her head surged as the blood returned northward. Her heart thudded painfully in her chest. Like a hammer. Made of pain._

 _Gingerly, she looked around. Suspended some fifty feet above the ground, surrounded by dense trees and fog, and the cries of distant Grimm. Her hand came almost automatically to the release pin on the remaining cable that she was hung from. She yanked one more time. Funny, it came out much easier this time. The second fall of the day was much shorter than the first, but it still made her want to throw up. She hit the ground, rolling over her right shoulder into a half-kneel. Her rifle came up to her left shoulder, prepped to fire._

 _There was an unnerving silence in the forest. She looked around. It was just trees. And fog. She was well and truly alone. So why did she feel so weird? Maybe the others had landed as well. Her right hand fell from the gun's foregrip and onto her hip where her radio lay. She unclipped it and brought it to her face, squeezing the button with her thumb._

" _Red to Squad Leader, co-"_

 _She stopped mid sentence. She held the small device away from her face for a moment. It seemed...compressed. Her face twisted, and she gave a pitiful laugh. It was broken. The battery was hanging out of the bottom, and the plastic case was mangled beyond recognition. Well this was just shitty. She tossed the broken radio off to the side dejectedly._

" _I hate this job."_

 _She moved forward, slinging her rifle under her arm on the long carry strap. The ground was mushy under her boots, and the lush forest grass was wet with dew. It was soaking the cuffs of her uniform pants. Pulling out her scroll, which was very luckily not damaged, she checked her heading. North, forty degrees east. That was where the village was supposed to be. Even if she was probably a few kilometres off of the landing site, finding the village wouldn't be too hard._

 _The undergrowth was thick, prickly, and sneeze-inducing. Fifty kilos of pollen forced its way directly into her nose with every step she took, it felt like. She sniffed, wiping her almost running nose on her sleeve. Something cracked a few yards away, making her pause. It sounded like a stick breaking. Under a foot. A heavy one. As slowly as she could, she took her nose off her sleeve and raised the butt of her gun up to her left shoulder. Her right hand dropped slowly to the foregrip._

 _The waiting game began. The air was quiet. Unable to see through the fog, Ruby braced herself on her feet, prepared to snap to any direction that the adversary decided to spring from. Grimm may have been brainless, but they weren't stupid. They new not to attack from the front, as that's the direction the bullets came from. They knew also not to attack from the rear, as their 'prey' usually could run away faster than they could catch up. So it would have to be from the sides. She waited. Her rifle was armed. Her muscles, compressed like wound springs._

 _Her breath held. A low growl came from her right side. As much as she wanted to pounce and start firing, she knew it was a ploy. Beowolves hunted in packs. She stayed like this for a moment. She'd have to wait them out. Time felt like it had slowed down to an almost agonizing stop. She counted each heartbeat as it tried to hammer her ribcage into dust._

" _Come on, you fucking-"_

 _There was a roar, and the brush crashed from her left. Her eyes flicked over, but she remained poised. Don't move until you can see the reds of their eyes. The crash of brush to her right was louder. Her eyes flicked over. All she could see was the red glow of the animal's two horrid, huge eyes. Her body twitched towards it, rifle raised. There was no sound. Only the feeling of the weapon bouncing into her shoulder six consecutive times. The huge animal's mouth, which had been open in a roar, fell shut as its lungs filled with blood. The animal hit the ground with an inaudible thud. Knowing the second attack was coming from behind, she sprung backwards, making a one-handed flip and positioning herself the opposite direction. Beowolf number two leaped from its hiding spot behind a large shrubbery. Ruby pulled the trigger again._

 _For what it was worth, the AWS assault-class rifles were very good at bringing down large prey in few shots. The heavy five-fifty-six sized cartridges were adequate, she found, in taking large things and turning them into many smaller things. Even if she preferred the huge thirteen millimetre armour-piercing rounds used in her beloved Crescent Rose. The smaller rounds still packed a hell of a punch, however. The leaping beowolf was very swiftly silenced, its glowing red eyes fading to black before it even hit the ground. Ruby cartwheeled to the right, out of the way of the dead beast as it landed and slid to a gruesome-sounding stop next to its comrade. After a beat, she exhaled._

" _Okay, that was good."_

 _Striking the mag release on her rifle, she dropped the empty steel sleeve into one of her many pockets that lined her combat pants. Now, the next one, She fiddled with one of the velcro straps that held another magazine. It just refused to come free. The sound of another twig snapping alerted her._

 _She turned her eyes to the right._

 _Searing, blinding pain rushed through her stomach, covering her body like a flaming blanket. She screamed. Her legs failed. She fell to her knees. The flames penetrated her being._

 _Everything._

 _Agony._

 _On reflex, her body turned to face the side of danger. A massive Grimm with gigantic teeth was stood not more than eight inches from her face. Its arm came down on her. She tried to brace, but the pain was too much. She couldn't move her arms. Her body flung backwards from the impact, colliding with a tree. As if a switch had been thrown, her vision went red, cloudy, and angered. The beast bore down on her, teeth bared. She reached for her sidearm, carefully tucked into its holster on her belt. The clasp came undone with zero resistance, the only thing that had all day. But before she could raise it up, she felt it again._

 _The searing, horrible pain in her stomach. Four, distinct spikes. Two up from the top, and two up from the bottom. Her left index finger squeezed down on the little metal trigger, completely out of her control as her body was overtaken by the feeling. All ten of the NF-Seven-Five's rounds fired blindly and reflexively off to the side. None had hit their mark. She clenched her teeth down, trying to remain conscious. It wasn't working._

" _N-no..."_

 _Ruby didn't know she even_ had _nerve endings on the inside of her body. Unfortunately, she was now acutely aware, and the feeling of the four serrated blades actually inside her made her want to vomit. So she did. Blood filled her mouth, choking off her lungs and silencing her screams. Her eyes shot open, to see the two huge red spotlights that were looking deep into her right now. She had very little time left._

 _She was going to die._

 _Her vision fading, her mind kicked itself into overdrive. She thought of how disappointed her father would be, how hard he'd cry at losing his baby girl. Not to mention it was the same way he lost his wife. Same stupid, stupid mission. Stupid Kayaba Forest._

 _Yang was next. No, not Yang. She had lost enough. The arm, her mother, Summer. She would be so incredibly destroyed. Would she do it? Would Yang be so devastated that she would take herself, too? That wasn't a thought Ruby wanted to have as her last._

 _Blake was next. She had just gotten promoted on the VPD. Her relationship with Sun was ever stronger. They had just signed a lease on a place together last week. Everything was going well for the faunus. The death of her friend might be too much. She had seen Blake fall into a pretty serious funk when her grandmother had died a few years ago. But the loss of a loved one who was so_ close? _No, it wasn't fair to her._

 _But what about Weiss?_

 _The woman who had been by her side, ceaselessly, lovingly, and for all the times she needed to be? What about her? She would be hurt. Insulted. Broken. Weiss had been there for her, every nightmare, every 'encounter', every birthday even! Weiss had been the only shining, white-haired, beautiful constant in her dark and miserable life. And to dash it all away just like that? No. It wasn't going to happen. She had to see her Weiss just one more time. She couldn't go today._

 _Her right leg wasn't in the beast's mouth. It was free. She braced her left hand against the large beast's nose. Her leg flexed, bringing her boot closer. She could feel the animal raise its head, clamping down on her body even harder. Her vision was completely gone now, replaced by a slowly-darkening red blur. Her body wasn't screaming at her anymore. It was cold. And calm. The bloodied boot on her free foot was slick. The very end of her feelings were coming. Her eyes were lidded, trying to close down and rob her of the sliver of sight she still had. Her lungs, filled with blood, were useless. She felt it. The handle. Stuck in the side of her thick combat boot. Her tired fingers worked carefully on the edge. Funny. She never pictured dying while trying to reach for a knife. In one last dying effort, she lifted her leg, tilting her boot up. The knife slipped out._

 _Right into her hand._

 _This was it. Her last chance._

" _W-Wei...eiss..."_

 _The knife spun in her hand, into a tactical grip._

" _I-I'm...m... co-oming...h...ho...home."_

 _She plunged the knife with all her might into the beast's left eye. There was a roar. The teeth retracted from her body. Her heavy heart gave one last, pitiful thud._

 _She was falling again._

 _But she was free._

 _She found herself...smiling._

 _Something heavy thudded into her back._

 _The world went white._


	23. Chapter 23: Slow Descent

Chapter 60

The window was cold against the side of her head. The seatbelt, stupidly bright red and padded, was digging into her neck at quite an angle. The car bounced a little, causing her head to bang against the glass. She closed her eyes, sinking deeper into the body-hugging sport seats. She huffed silently, trying to hide herself away from the entire world.

 _I hate everyone and everything_

Four hours. Alone. In that hospital. All by herself. _Four goddamn hours._ She tried to cry again. But she had run out of tears. There was nothing left inside. Just the empty feeling. What was that Pyrrha had said about inner strength? What a bunch of garbage. There was no way any of that shit about 'loving yourself' and 'being brave' was going to help her now. She just wanted to pass out and die.

"Uhh..."

Even her lungs wanted to just go away. That was the extent of her feelings. Her new driver pulled the car into the left lane, passing a slower car. This is how it had been for the last hour or so on the road. Sorry silence, and overtaking. Just her awful luck it was. The one person she could have called, who was the _furthest_ away, she might add, came for her to collect her. She could have called Blake again, but she didn't. She could have called Yang, but she hadn't. She had called _Dean._ Like an idiot. He was a whole other city away. But he had driven all this way to collect her. And now, she was sitting in the passenger seat of his car, being rocketed along the freeway, towards the airport.

 _Pathetic._

There was a small _ding_ from over on the driver's side of the console. Her chauffeur let out a sigh, and let off the accelerator. The powerful supercar slowed, pressing her into her harness-like seatbelt. The free-breathing motor howled like a choir of wolves just over her left shoulder as it decelerated down from the blistering speed they had been doing.

"We are out of fuel, _Schneeflocke._ Thought I'd let you know."

His voice was soft, and sweet. Quiet, too. It sounded like he was a little defeated, if she was honest. She sighed her response to him, just as defeated. He tapped a finger against his car's racing steering wheel.

"Not the most _economical_ car, no?"

Well. At least he was trying to engage her in some sort of conversation. To his credit, he seemed genuine enough, with a heartfelt tone about him. Weiss tried to respond as well.

"Ca...va...llo..."

Guess not. Her brain had quit the words about a quarter of the way out her mouth. Her eyes still refused to open. They refused to cry, as well. All she _wanted_ was to cry. Curl up in a ball in front of her TV and cry until she stopped existing. Maybe she'd watch something foreign. Then her parents would find an empty blanket and a strange film in her place when she evaporated. That would be weird. Or funny. She couldn't bring herself to care. Her lip trembled again.

 _Weak._

She tapped her head against the window in mock protest. It didn't hurt. But she didn't want to break his window. Of course, if she did, he would just brush it off and ignore it and not make her pay for it because that was just the way he was. _Nice._ For no good reason. He wasn't interested in her _that_ way. Why would he be? She had told him she wasn't into men, gosh what was it, yesterday? He had certainly hugged her with more affection than just a 'regular' friend would nevertheless.

 _Maybe_ he _wants you. No one else does._

Weiss gave a sob, quietly so Dean wouldn't hear. She felt stupid. She felt _tired._ Not so much exhausted from being awake for very nearly twenty-four hours, however. She was over that. She just felt... _done._ No more angry, depressed, regretful thoughts filled her head. Just one thought remained, quietly repeating over and over in her empty frame.

 _It's over._

And it was, to the thought's credit. It was indeed over. There would be no more casual Saturdays, watching movies on the couch. No more driving to the beach in _her_ truck with the roof and doors removed. No more playing those infernal racing video games in the basement and sitting in piles of PLG cans and potato chip bags. No more Weiss and Ruby. And just that thought alone remained, silencing her entire being. She could barely breathe, it was so devastating.

Years ago, she remembered hearing a very similar story about one of her uncles. Albion Schnee. Her mother's eldest sibling. He had been a Hunstman. One of his missions had him away in Anima, protecting a small countryside village she didn't care enough about to even remember the name of. Back in Atlas, in the shadow of the foreboding _Mount Totenspitz,_ Albion's wife Violet and their daughter, Weiss's cousin Xena patiently awaited his return. The mission itself was a great success, as Albion had dealt with the Grimm threat in the tiny village with great ease. It was upon his return that he found out why he had been apprehensive of leaving in the first place.

There had been a landslide. Of _epic_ proportions. It had wiped his hometown clean off the face of the earth. Only a vast field of rock and dirt remained in the place his house had been. His home, his wife, his daughter, his _everything_ had been completely _erased._ He was left with nothing. And now, Weiss knew exactly how he felt that day, as his Bullhead had crested the hill to reveal the vast emptiness that had once been his life. Not even in a figurative ' _I know what it's like to lose people like that time my sister moved away'_ sort of pity. Weiss now knew _precisely_ what it was like to have someone you love taken away forever, without even an inkling of warning. Pyrrha had died. Ruby had ran away. And Weiss was now alone.

 _And it's what you deserve._

She slid her head rearward across the window, letting it come to rest against the seatbelt strap. In the last four hours, she thought many times about coping with the loss the same way her uncle had. But no one would attend _her_ funeral, would they?

"Weiss? We've stopped for the moment. Do you need anything from the gas station?"

Her eyes opened. The harsh lights from the fuel pump made her want to close them again immediately. They were indeed at a gas station. She rubbed her good eye with her sleeve.

"Mmm..."

With neither an affirmative or negative reply, she pulled on the tiny carbon-fibre door release, popping the lightweight panel open and letting the cold in. Perhaps she needed some air. With great effort, she hoisted her tired frame out of the _very_ low-slung supercar into a standing position. The door swung shut by itself the instant she let go of it. It didn't have the same weight or substance to it that the big red truck had. Granted, the door itself on this car was worth likely more than _all_ of that truck anyways.

The gas station smelled like gas. Quite badly, actually. The smell permeated her nose and up into her sinuses. The smell made her want to faint. She came around to the back of the aerodynamic car, leaning against the light-blue carbon bodywork. Her fingers traced the outline of the raised chrome nameplate of the back fascia. _Cavallo 408._ The car itself was nice, she supposed. Mid-engined, eight cylinder, and quite agile for its wide stance. It was certainly pretty. For a car.

"You like the new car, _Schneeflocke?_ I remembered you suggesting this to me when we were children. Well, certainly not anything this _new."_

Weiss sniffed, not looking over. Of _course_ he would have done something she recommended. What a joke this was. Was this a subtle way of confessing? No, he wouldn't dare do that. They hadn't seen each other in ten years. _Ten whole years._ That would be long enough to forget about someone. But clearly Dean hadn't forgotten about her. She sighed, dropping her chin onto her chest. Her hair fell down around her face like a floor-length curtain, hiding her from view. This was the advantage of having long hair, as she had discovered long ago. Quick camouflage.

"I-I mean, it was this or the Donckerwolke. And I did not want the stigma of driving one of _those."_

She just wanted him to stop trying to be so nice to her. She mumbled her response. That seemed to be the end of it. The gas pump whirred loudly as it pumped litre upon litre of the rather expensive high-octane fuel into the blue machine. The smell of the ethanol-blend was worse than just the regular civilian-grade stuff. It made her want to sneeze. But she kept her nose quiet for the time being. The air was cold. Colder than it had been every single other morning in the last week. It felt like the air was out to get her, like a giant's cold fist crushing down on her body. Her breath pooled around her face as she exhaled, and immediately froze to the thin lenses of her glasses. Her sour expression cracked just the tiniest of amounts, as she realized she was now blind.

 _Blind to everything._

Just as quickly as the feeling had left her, it was now back. And it was worse. She hated that she was right. Blind to Pyrrha's deterioration, blind to Dean's seemingly rather apparent feelings for her, blind to _all_ of Ruby's problems. It was as if she never knew the poor, frightened huntress even a little bit! Nine years they had known each other, and she had never _once_ known the real story, the real problems that the girl was having. Did she not trust her? Did she think Weiss couldn't handle the truth? Why had it taken so long for her to work up the courage to even admit the smallest thing? Surely it couldn't be because of love or anything like _that_ bullshit. Love, as stupid a concept as it was, was supposed to be about mutual trust and the sharing of feelings and all that petty nonsense. And yet sharing and feelings had never been present in their relationship.

What right did she have to feel betrayed. It had all been carefully hidden from her. Everything. She had barely known the woman she loved at all. Ruby had kept her at arm's length the whole time. It stung like a knife to the stomach. The same kind of slow, aching death that she was currently wishing for. She didn't deserve such a kind treatment. If anyone didn't deserve the kind of pleasant treatment that was a brutal death it was her. No, she _deserved_ the slow burn of torture that was consuming her at present.

" _Schneeflocke..."_

She jumped, not expecting the sudden voice from the other side of the car. The pump stopped whirring with a loud click that permeated the silence of the air. She glanced over, through the thick silvery-white curtain that was her hair. His face had a very saddened expression plastered upon it. He seemed like he was dissappointed in something. Or perhaps someone. Maybe _her._

"Please talk to me, Weiss... This bitter silence really isn't like you."

Her eye twitched.

"I'm fine."

Dean shut the fuel door on his car with a little more force than was necessary. Even from the distance she was away, Weiss could see that his knuckles were white from strain.

"No, you are clearly not. I wish you would tell me what's wrong."

What was wrong? Well, that was a complicated matter. There was a lot of things wrong. The underlying problem, however, was that Weiss didn't know where exactly to start. Her brain was fully scrambled from the day's events.

" _What can I do? How can I help you?"_

Spoken in Atlesian, his voice was soft. Restrained. She responded in the same language, the words flowing out with little difficulty despite the many years it had been since she had used it.

" _I don't think you can. It's not something-"_

" _That's not going to stop me from trying, Schneeflocke._ _"_

Weiss clenched her fist, hidden by the car's bulbous fenders.

" _Look, Dean, I don't need your-"_

He cut her off with a hand raised before him.

" _Okay, forget about what you_ need. _Tell me what you_ want."

Weiss opened her mouth to speak, but hesitated. Her mouth was dry, and her voice seemed to be trapped in her throat. What _did_ she want? Well, the most obvious thing that came to mind was a certain brown-haired girl who _used_ to be her friend. But that had just become unfeasible. Completely and utterly hopeless.

 _Why not take advice from your mother?_

" _A drink."_

 _And down the rabbit hole you fall, little girl._

Dean sighed seemingly with his entire body, a very clear expression of disappointment on his face. His opinion didn't matter to her at present. She just wanted a drink, and to be on a plane home. Of course, she knew there would be alcohol on the flight, but she needed something _now,_ rather than in an hour and a half when the plane would take off.

" _A drink? You're certain?"_

Why was he giving her attitude? She made a face, hidden by her hair so he wouldn't see.

" _I am."_

He nodded slowly, hanging the fuel nozzle back up onto the pump. His keys jingled in his hand as he spun them around his index finger, catching them in his palm.

" _Alright. There's a good place just down the highway another exit. I'll take you there. Sound good?"_

Weiss nodded and made an affirmative-sounding sigh.

" _I guess so."_

Dean's voice became more upbeat.

" _Excellent, Schneeflocke. Do you want to drive?"_

A small smile formed on her face.

" _Sure. Why not?"_

Without looking over, and using only the sound of the keys leaving his hand, Weiss extended her arm and caught the little polished silver-plated key mid-air. Pushing herself off the car with a tiny groan, she moved around to the driver's side of the car and dropped down into the low racing bucket seat. It was a lot further of a fall than she was expecting, but that was to be expected as Dean drove with the seat justifiably far back against the firewall. The door pulled shut with a lot less force than she was expecting, given the size of the large panel. Her hands fumbled for the seatbelt tucked behind the seat's thick shoulder bolstering, pulling it tight over her chest. Her finger poked into the bright red _START_ button on the steering wheel, turning the small, tightly-wound eight cylinder into life with a shriek. It brought a smile to her face automatically.

" _Hello, my friend."_

She slid her seat forward so she could reach the pedals, hearing Dean's door close and his seatbelt latch click closed just out of her peripheral. She gave the long aluminum throttle pedal a few test blips, watching the oversized tachometer spin up to six-thousand. She could feel the vibration of the motor directly in her heart. This car felt like a _very_ powerful coiled spring. Pulling the slick aluminum paddle behind the right side of the steering wheel, the car lurched forward away from the gas pump.

 _You're a piece of-_

Weiss cut off the voice in her head with a copious dose of boot to the accelerator. The motor opened up with a violent aggression, breaking the car's expensive snow tires loose from the wet pavement. The wide blue supercar slid sideways out of the gas station, and she held the car in an easy powerslide.

The car rocketed forward, ripping up to a blinding pace. Weiss tagged the right paddle again, and the onslaught of speed started all over again. The rear-wheel drive car tried a few times to slip out of line on the wet pavement, but the complicated computerized traction systems stopped it from doing so. She pulled the paddle again. And again. The tiny speedometer in the corner of the gauge cluster was flipping through numbers faster than they could be displayed and read. She let off the accelerator, holding speed at around two-fifty. She banged the transmission up into seventh gear, letting the revs fall and settling in for the short journey.

" _Why are you driving so slowly? The bar will close before we even get there!"_

Was he _trying_ to evoke a reaction? Her hands gripped harder on the car's button-covered steering wheel. His chipper attitude was abrasive at best, she thought. Letting her drive a car worth more than most suburban houses? That in itself was suspicious of him. She never let even her own _family_ drive her cars. Not being upset when she got a little aggressive with the gas pedal? That screamed that something foul was afoot. She remembered only allowing one person _ever_ to get after her car a little; a certain brown-haired girl. And now he was _encouraging_ her to go wild with it?

 _Seems like he's in lo-_

Her left fingers yanked three times on the left paddle. The car's double-clutch transmission blipped down instantaneously to fourth gear. Her right foot found the bottom of the footwell _through_ the gas pedal. The car sank back on the magnetically adjustable shocks, firing up _even harder_ than before as the motor found its sweet spot. Up past _nine thousand_ the tach read through each of the car's upper gears. Light poles, concrete barriers, and the lines on the road had faded to a vivid blur through the windshield. There was nothing left coherent in the world. If there was any signs or other cars to be read or seen, Weiss wasn't going to see them. She pulled the right paddle again, but the transmission didn't change up. The little indicator in the corner of the gauge cluster indicated she was in top gear already. The speedometer had stopped increasing. At three-hundred and twenty-four. A short laugh from the passenger seat was a momentary distraction.

" _That's more like it! Also, next exit in two kilometres."_

She held her foot down for a few more fleeting moments, her thoughts and the world around her drowned out by the massively loud engine screaming over her right shoulder. She lifted off, and the exhaust backfired and boomed through the very short titanium pipes sticking out the rear bumper. The car carved effortlessly around the off-ramp, pulling to a stop under the force of carbon-ceramic brakes at the stop sign at the top of the hill.

It didn't take a genius to know where the bar was. The brightly-lit building just up the road was probably visible from space. Weiss heaved a sigh, turning the blue supercar to the right, pulling calmly up the street. The parking lot was packed with large, obnoxious diesel trucks, as was the usual crop at any bar at any time of day. Bunch of hicks, she figured, locals from the more rural area that surrounded the airport. She managed to squeeze the wide car into and end spot, next to a curb and a lifted Sanus P-250 turbodiesel.

The door was heavier than it had been twenty minutes ago when she had gotten in. Perhaps that had been because she was standing _next_ to the door, and the low-slung seat had her almost sitting _below_ it. It didn't matter. Her body sighed as one as she stepped out of the car and back into the frozen night air. There was no snow in the parking lot, however, and only the dull din emanating from the bar made any indication of life in the area. Everything else was dark and gone. She took a wary step forward, letting the car door fall shut behind her, her feet like lead as she approached the building. Dean was but a shadow behind her. Her hand hesitated on the long brass handle that lead into the building. Dean almost bowled over her.

" _Schneeflocke, you shouldn't stop so suddenly. Didn't you want that drink I promised?"_

Her brain hesitated on the answer. Yes, she wanted the drink. No, she didn't want him to buy it. And no, she _certainly_ didn't want to be here right now.

"Yeah... sorry..."

She pushed the door open. Her nose was immediately flooded with the smell of alcohol and cheap food. Mostly fried fish, she thought. Typical pub fair. The conversations around the room quieted down as she stepped into the large, open room. The eyes of the patrons followed her around the room as she moved towards the bar itself. They all bored into her. Like a pack of hungry animals. She sat down on one of the tall stools, her white jacket tucking under her rear as she sat on it. Her short, pyjama-covered legs dangled freely off the edge of the high perch. The bartender peered over at her, polishing a glass with a microfibre cloth. Dean sat next to her, garnering a few jealous glares from some of the patrons.

" _What would the two of you like?"_

Weiss sighed deeply, so hard she managed to cut off Dean's possible order.

" _My best friend back. True love. I don't know, a world without Grimm?"_

Dean smiled, snorting through his nose from over her right shoulder. Did he find something about this _funny?_ What a huge, incorrigible, selfish dick. The bartender stopped scrubbing his cup, placing it down in a rack behind the counter. His large, muscled hands flexing as he picked up a tray of heavy pint glasses.

" _I meant to drink. I didn't need a philosophical story about your life."_

Weiss stared, her eyes fixed on the bartender with a viscous intent. Her left hand lowered down to her hip, where her sword used to be strapped. She gripped the hem of her pyjama pants in vain. She answered with a touch of venom in her voice.

"Scotch. Whisky. Something strong."

She held the man's eye, not wanting to break eye contact. It was a very long ten seconds before the man reacted, blinking and recoiling a half-step. She gave a small smile.

" _If you'd be so kind_."

He nodded, grabbing a tall glass bottle filled with a crystal clear liquid. He pulled the stopper, pouring it into a thick-bottomed cup. He slid it across the counter at her. The glass thudded into her hand and she immediately pulled it to her mouth and shot it back. The familiar burn of vodka flowed into her throat.

 _Can you feel it? Can you feel the pain? Good._

Weiss wrenched her eyes shut, trying to block out the feeling. Her lungs ached. Her stomach tried to revolt. She held it back, grimacing.

" _Another."_

A second glass was slid loudly to her side of the bar. She sent it back to follow the first. It burned, with an intensity that didn't quite match the first. But it still hurt. It felt good to feel so bad. She tapped the cup on the table.

" _Keep it coming..."_

The bartender poured a third, hesitating before he sent it to her side of the table. Before he let go, he levelled a glance over to Dean.

" _You think she needs another, sir?"_

She could _feel_ his eyes rolling at her as she tried to reach out for the glass. But Dean's nod caused the man behind the bar release his grip on the rim of the glass. Weiss picked up the glass. Her reflection stared back. The lone tear streaks from her right eye shimmered back at her in the foul liquid.

 _Fuck you._

The glass clattered against her teeth. The horrible fluid did nothing to calm her. Her whole body shook from the inside out. It was like she had been set on fire.

" _Let me guess. Another?"_

She gestured for another cup. The pain in her mouth and throat was more than she realized she could speak through. If she tried to talk, she would throw up. And right now was alcohol time. The, gosh what was it, fifth shot? She had lost count, and the pain was very close to becoming too much to handle. She remembered vaguely seeing the alcohol percentage on the bottle being over forty percent. Weak compared to some of the booze in her cellar at home, but far too strong to be knocking back like apple juice.

 _Pain, without love..._

A song she remembered learning to play years ago bounced around her skull. Like a ping-pong ball in a paint shaker. It was a fitting song, she figured, her left fingers subconsciously making the right chord positions on the outside of her glass as her brain hummed along. The song itself was about a person's internal struggle with depression, how they could only cope with with life by feeling pain. Specifically, the overbearing pain of just being alive.

Being alive sucked, didn't it. Weiss sniffed, sending another glass of the pain-juice into her body. Being alive was a constant stream of problems, interspersed with brief periods of calm and quiet serenity. The problems, she could deal with. The bright moments? Fuck 'em. Problems were easy because problems, by there inherent nature, could be solved. If she had issues at work, a few phone calls, a few meetings, a little wine, and poof, the problem was solved. Whenever her father dared yell at her or chastise her, she would go quietly to her side of _her_ mansion, and have a little wine, turn on the TV, and ignore him. The more difficult problems, like when she had to make billion dollar decisions that would impact the course of her entire company, well, those were dealt with using the same efficiency and calm attitude she had grown up with, plus a little wine. And it usually all worked out!

 _You do a lot of wining..._

More alcohol. More pain. More sadness. She tried to open her eyes. They refused. She coughed, placing her cup down on the counter harder than she had wanted to. The vodka was doing horrible, wonderful things to her insides. Her limbs felt like they were made of jelly. Her head fell forward, and the bar jumped forward and smacked her in the face. She recoiled.

" _Shit fuck ass dicks..."_

A low breathy rumble came from all around her. It sounded kinda like a laugh... One she recognized! One she hadn't heard since... gosh, fencing lessons ten goddamn years ago.

"Left foot for...ward... Rights arms back..."

That was the stance, right? Body turned, dominant hand forward. Not to tight a grip on the handle, just below the guard. All movements made forward, all steps _taken_ forward. Advance, thrust, parry, remise. No, wait, that was wrong. Riposte? Remise? Weiss's brain felt muddy. Her feet swung under her in a terrible approximation of the steps she though she remembered. No, a _riposte_ followed a parry, cutting below her opponent's guard and landing a hit on the chest. A _remise_ always followed an attack, not a parry. The amount of times she forgot this in the past was astounding. Her right hand rubbed her chest, in the spot she used to have a bruise from the astonishing number of times her partner stabbed her.

" _Schneeflocke?_ Are you okay?"

Speaking of. She turned in her seat to meat the boy responsible for the lifetime supply of ice-packs and Bruise-B-Gone in the gym's medical cabinet. She tried to focus on his face, but the blur was almost like trying to look through clouded glass. She could barely make out his features through the fog. Even the usually callous inner monologue was struggling.

 _Cheek...bones? Face? Shide Woulders?_

His face was recognizable. It came into focus slower than pretty much anything else. His dirty-blond hair, the razor-sharp cheekbones. His well-muscled arms filling out the sleeves of his tight jacket. Her cheeks flushed, and at this drink in the night, she didn't care. She let the redness flow into her face as she stared the attractive man down.

"You know... you're really p...pretty, Dean."

He choked on his soda, a little dripping down his chin as he whipped it on his sleeve.

"Excuse me, _Schneeflocke?"_

Weiss continued, unabated.

"No, you don't understand..."

She took another swig of vodka, switching between languages again.

" _You're like, super attractive. I think if I was straight, I'd do you first!"_

" _And I think you are too drunk to-"_

Weiss's glass hit the table like a hammer.

"M'not finished! You're like... perfect in every way... _and it's not fair to the rest of us!"_

He glared at her. With an unrestrained venom. Her face drooped.

" _What, am I not attractive? Is that what it is?"_

His drink was placed carefully on the counter. It landed with no sound, as if made of air. Or perhaps it was the booze, silencing out everything around her.

" _No, Weiss, that's not what I-"_

" _So you're saying you don't want to have sex with me? Is that what you're saying? Given the opportunity you would not bend me over and fuck me until I couldn't stand up?"_

" _No, that's-"_

" _Fuck,_ nobody _wants to have sex with me. Not you, not Ruby, not anyone who I like even a little bit! Fucking bullshit!"_

She drowned another glass. Dean seemed at a loss for words, as he was shaking his head, a bewildered look looming over his face. Weiss scoffed loudly at him.

" _Fine. If you want to be that way..."_

She turned, gesturing to the room of people with her arms wide, a half empty glass of vodka in her left hand. Before he had the chance to speak, she loudly shouted to everyone, but no one in particular.

" _Does anyone in this room want to have sex with me?"_

The room, as you might have expected, fell suddenly quiet, with only the hum of the bar's air vents and the almost silent television behind the bartender. Nobody dared move a muscle. This bothered Weiss. She stumbled ever so slightly.

" _I'm waiting!"_

Dean opened his mouth to speak, but she sent him a glare, causing his mouth to close slowly. A group of three burly, rural-looking men approached the spot she sat. The one in the middle, a larger middle-aged looking fellow with wiry black hair and a stupid, awful moustache that made him look like a Mistralian plumber. He sneered, his bared yellowed teeth evident of a lifelong smoking habit. Dean stood off his chair, turning to face the group.

" _I'd back up, gentlemen."_

His face was certainly stern, commanding, and a little frightened. He kept his eyes level to the leader of the pack's daring him to speak. Weiss sniffed, finding the bottom of her most recent cup of pain. The fat man snorted like a hog, his voice gruff and aggressive like a having a rasp jammed in the ear. He also sounded very clearly drunk.

" _Izzat so? Didn't you hear the lady's request?"_

He tried to take another step forward. Dean didn't let him, placing one of his wide, muscular hands on the fat man's chest.

" _I'd move that hand, sonny-boy. If ya know what's good for you..."_

" _It's not about what's good for me. It's about what's good for my friend here. And you aren't that, sir."_

Dean kept his voice level and restrained, trying his hardest to not make anymore of a scene than had already been made. Everyone in the bar was looking their way. From their perspective it must have looked like a fiasco waiting to happen. A drunk woman, a body-guard, and three drunk assailants. The tension in the room was immense. If it was going to happen, it was going to happen _now._ The fat man cocked his head to the side.

" _Buddy, I'm trying to be polite. I think myself a gentlemen, offering the lady what she asked for, don' you?"_

" _I think you a nuisance. Turn around, and walk away."_

He sneered, showing more of his disgusting teeth.

" _Look pal, I've had it up to here with you. Get outta my way."_

He pushed forward. Dean didn't let him move.

" _You aren't coming any closer."_

" _Oh yeah? I think we are. From where I stand, there's three of us, and one of you..."_

The fat man gestured to his accomplices. The one on the left, a tall fellow with glassy eyes spat onto the bar with a fair bit of force.

"... _Doesn't that seem like an unfair fight?"_

Dean nodded, not lifting his hand from the man's chest.

" _It does. For you."_

The man laughed, spritzing Dean's face with beer and spit. His laughs heaved a few times, before he took a few steps back, a wicked smile still on his face. Much to Dean's dismay, he didn't retreat back to his table.

" _So much arrogance. Take care of him, boys."_

The man on the right, shorter with jet-black hair, snorted and stepped forward. His voice was young-sounding, clearly inebriated, and full of confidence. A pity it was.

" _You made a mistake, blondie."_

" _Did I?"_

The shorted boy took a heavy swing, a wild left hay-maker for his head. A predictable shot, really. Dean's right arm came up, catching the wide punch on the outside of his forearm. The man's arm slapped loudly against the tweed material, bouncing harmlessly off. The first punch was followed by a confused second one. Clearly the boy hadn't expected his first hit to _not_ be a one-hit wonder. His right arm came around, aimed squarely for a spot a few inches to the side of Dean's head. Booze did wonders for this boy's aim and sense of balance, it seemed. He turned his body slightly, moving fully out of the way of the swing, while bringing his right arm up and catching the poor fellow's fist.

" _What th-"_

Hooking his left hand over the boy's bicep, he forced him against the bar, smacking the boy's face down on it and twisting his arm at an awful angle. The already _very_ drunk man was knocked entirely out from the sudden bar-nap, collapsing to the floor as he released his arm.

" _Oh, you're going dow-"_

Dean grabbed the man with the glassy eyes by his collar with one hand, sending the crook of his other hand into the man's throat. He tried to stumble backwards. He didn't make it very far. Dean pulled him forward, cracking the top of his head into the man's nose. He went down like a sack of bird seed dropped off a roof. Weiss snickered at the speed to which the two grunts went down.

" _Now..."_

Dean turned to the fat man, the only one who remained still upright. His cocky sneer remained. Odd.

" _Turn around. Walk away."_

He laughed. _Laughed._ Dean's unflappable glare wavered for the briefest of moments.

" _I'm afraid...not."_

The fat man stuck one of his hog-hands into his jacket. In her inebriated state, she didn't see exactly what he pulled from under his arm. It was small, metal plated, hand-held. Dean made an inaudible gasp. There was a click.

" _Outta my way, blondie."_

Everything stopped. Like someone had pushed a giant pause button. The bartender had retreated into the back, most of the other customers had moved behind the concrete retaining wall across the room. Dean ever so slowly moved his body in between her and the fat man. He had made himself into a shield.

" _Do it, little man."_

The fat man raised his arm. Dean's hands moved as a blur. The fat man made a loud grunt, followed by a pained noise as the small object in his hand was ripped violently from his grip. He made another pained sound, cursing loudly in Atlesian. Dean slammed the man into the bar considerably harder than he had the first grunt, holding him down. The fat man struggled, but his bulk was no match for Dean's overbearing strength, even with the one-handed grip he had on the man's skull. His other had was busy, disassembling the tiny trinket into its many metallic parts that fell to the table. Some of them slid to Weiss's slab of bar. She picked one up, bringing it to her face so it wouldn't be so blurry. A small brass capsule, with a tiny ball of lead on the end. Odd.

" _Baratta Piko, thirty-eight calibre, eleven ounces of composite and aluminum. Nice choice for a conceal and carry. Too bad that's against the law in this country."_

" _Let go of me, you motherfucker!"_

Dean dropped the remaining parts

" _I asked you to walk away. I gave you plenty of chances. Now you I'm telling you."_

" _Fuck you, you piece of shit!"_

He dropped a fist onto the side of the man's head, stopping his tirade of expletives and struggling in one fell swoop. He crumpled to the ground like a discarded beer can. Weiss stared at him. She could only look for a few seconds, as Dean grabbed her by the arm, pulling her from her chair.

"Hey!"

"Come on. We are going. Here."

He placed a small steel pin into her hand. She brought it up to her face.

"Is this a...?"

" _Yes, it is. That problem is no more. Let's get you on a plane."_

"O-oh...okay."

She let herself be dropped back into the low and wide supercar. Her head was spinning violently. Something about that whole ordeal stung.

She shivered.

The vibration of the tightly-wound motor wasn't as soothing as it had been earlier. Dean clicked the car into reverse, getting them out of the spot and back onto the road with haste. As they accelerated away, Weiss could tell the air in the car was different. She elected to remain silent about it. She was much too drunk to think about making another scene. The seats were even more uncomfortable now, not made better by his aggressive driving as he weaved between much slower cars.

He had protected her. But why? He was just a friend, they hadn't seen each other in years! And he had no reason to even care. He wasn't a cop, he wasn't a huntsman, he wasn't family. Just a guy she used to know. He had put himself in harm's way in the most literal sense. She rubbed the pin between her fingers. This little piece of hardened steel was literally the difference between life and death. A tear fell onto her wrist. She looked at it with disdain. She hadn't known she was even crying.

 _You're pathetic._

She coughed, rubbing her eye on her sleeve.

 _Yeah, I know. Nobody cares._

Her heart thumped loudly, audible over the raucous scream of Dean's ridiculous car. Why couldn't she have been normal? Why couldn't she have just been into guys? And furthermore, why couldn't she have been a better friend to Ruby? _Years_ wasted not even being there for her. All the air left her body in one slow sigh. She held it out, feeling the slow burn of her lungs questioning the lack of oxygen. She wondered how much longer she would need to hold it before she passed out. Minutes? Seconds?

Her stomach burbled, releasing a burp from her throat. On instinct, she inhaled, returning air to her body, which her hurting chest was very grateful for. The car bounced around her, its much too stiff racing suspension feeling like she was being kicked repeatedly in the kidneys. A punishment she felt she deserved. No, she deserved far worse. Maybe an acid bath. Or perhaps some base jumping without a chute.

Such a fickle thing, life was. Filled with too much hate. Prejudice. Anguish. Or maybe not enough. The little voice in her head was certainly an advocate for more angst. She just wanted it to stop. Out of protest, she smacked her head on the carbon-fibre window sill. It didn't hurt as much as she wanted it to. Damn alcohol. Ruining all her fun.

"Weiss?"

She lifted her head from the sill. Dean pointed out the windscreen. The airport loomed into view, filled with light and sounds. Airplanes hung loudly in the air around them, suspended by invisible wires as they landed and took off to far off places. The green direction signs that hung above the highway whizzed by overhead, completely illegible at this speed. Dean seemed to know where he was going though, as he manoeuvred the agile car onto an off ramp and around the concrete roads that guided them around the city-sized airport. The car slowed, coming down to a more reasonable speed for the taxi-laden roads between terminals.

They slowed to a stop, right below the large black and white sign reading _DEPARTURES._ The motor was shut off. Very briefly, Weiss found herself in complete silence. No ambience from the people milling about in the terminal, no sounds from taxis racing around them, and no loud obnoxious voices in her head.

"We're here. Let's go."

The silence was shattered. She blinked a few times, before reaching for the door release, swinging it open on the silent hinges. Her legs didn't want to move. At all. She swung them out of the car regardless. Standing up wasn't much better. The car's front-trunk popped open, rising up automatically. She looked down into the deep cavity that sat between the car's front wheels. Her two oversized suitcases had fit almost perfectly in the cargo compartment, with literally no room to spare. Dean yanked them out, sitting them both nicely on their little wheels before slamming his hood shut. Weiss jumped from the noise.

"There. Now get on a plane, and go home."

That seemed abrupt.

"Dean, I-"

"No. Right now, you need to go home and sleep."

He pushed the handles of the two bags into her hands. They felt limp in her grip. She tried to make eye contact, but her vision was far too blurry to even make out the subtleties of his face. She could, however, still see the disappointment in the way his shoulders were slumped. He shook his head.

"You shouldn't have called me."

What?

"I-"

"No. I shouldn't have come. I don't know why I did. I'm sorry."

Her whole body sobered up at once. Her nerves, fried, were on end. His words cut through her like a knife, as if all those years of fencing practice with him had caught up all at once, and he had run her through with a real sword.

"Go, Weiss. Make peace with whatever you have inside."

She sniffed.

"O-okay."

" _Auf Wiedersehen."_

With that, he climbed back into his car, pulling away from the terminal, the previously raucous car slipping silently away into the night. The cold air of the terminal hit her suddenly, whipping into her jacket and up the legs of her pyjama pants. Her level of sobriety went violently from 'a little tipsy' to 'sober as a brick wall' in an instant as her body convulsed from the cold.

At this hour of the morning, there was very few other people actually out on the terminal with her. The sun cracked over the edge of the building, bringing the frozen air with it. She puller her coat a little tighter. The nature of her situation was slowly building in her gut. She looked at the ground through breath-fogged glasses. Black, tailored leather riding boots blanketed by slightly-too-long pink flannel pyjama bottoms. Such a waste. A tall clock tower on the road median struck the next hour, dinging out seven tones on the electronic klaxon.

Seven a.m.

And what was she?

Alone. Again.

For the third time that day.

For the third time, someone had said goodbye to her and left without a second word.

Is this what her life had come to?

 _Pathetic._

She cried.


	24. Chapter 24: Ask Your Father

Chapter 61

" _Ruby?"_

There was the soft knocking at her door again. She tried to ignore it, pulling her pillow tighter over her head. She didn't want anything. She didn't want any _one_ either. She just wanted to be left alone until she faded away.

" _C'mon, sweetie. You can't stay in your room forever."_

Yes, she could. She was an adult, she could do whatever she wanted. She dug her shoulders tighter into the sheets, burrowing down like a mole would in the dirt. She wanted to yell for him to go away, but her mouth and lungs refused to comply even in the slightest. Nothing but a depressed whimper came out, entirely muffled by the pillow.

" _Sweetie? We're worried about you. You've been in there for two straight days."_

"Nnn..."

There was a silence. For a long while. She listened to the sound of her alarm clock ticking quietly on her bedside table. There had been too many ticks to count that day. She just didn't have the energy to care. What felt like five whole minutes clicked quietly by.

" _Well, when you're ready, Yang made omelettes. There's one out here with your name on it."_

Omelettes? Hmm. Maybe she would made a journey outside of her room today. _Maybe_. She had been sufficing on the leftover candy in her bag for he last forty hours or so. Her mouth tasted so bad at the moment. She certainly had ten new cavities. Her body rolled unconsciously over to her side, pulling much of the thick comforter with it. Another deep sigh escaped her lungs as she finished the roll onto her back. With the hand that _wasn't_ trapped behind her back, she flung her pillow off her face and onto the floor, where it landed with a quiet _whump._ She stared at the ceiling in vain. It stared back, white stucco creating weird patterns in her vision.

 _Blegh._

A spot on her chest itched suddenly, and she reached up to scratch it over the yellow hand-me-down cotton t-shirt. Ruby liked this shirt. It was Yang's old housework shirt, and it always smelled a little bit like bananas. It was loose on her, as Yang wore a women's medium to account for her long torso and bodacious frame. Ruby liked it because she could hide in it. It was like a security blanket she could wear, and she had been wearing it since the moment she arrived.

She sat up slightly on her elbows, her right arm numb from her lying on it. Her boobs, unrestrained by any bra, bounced aimlessly around under her shirt. She winced. Two days of sleeping without one was making her chafe. Perhaps she should have put one on. The soft and supportive mattress refused to let her get all the way up, hugging her down in its cavernous warmth. She wiggled her body around, trying to get her legs over the side of the bed. Unfortunately her boy-shorts had bunched up uncomfortably into her butt, and she made a pained noise quietly.

The floor was cold-ish, her socks sliding around on the polished hardwood. She elected not to get up just yet, content to sit on the edge of her bed. The room was dim in the mid-morning light that came in around the edges of the heavy curtains. She sighed, scratching the back of her head kind of distractedly. Her eyes, adjusted to the dim light, panned around the room she once called her own. Like, ten years ago. It was a mess of sorts, clothes from her bag strewn around the room, the lamp she knocked over on her way to the bathroom last night, six plates and associated cutlery stacked haphazardly on her old writing desk. It looked like a broke college student lived here, not the world's most powerful manic-depressive huntress.

 _Yeugh, blegh, and fech._

She stuck her tongue out. Even the air in her room tasted stale. Her face scrunched up as she went to rub her nose on the back of her hand. Her face hurt. She tried once to stand, but after a brief moment of resistance from her legs, she gave up, falling onto her back again. Her arms fell akimbo, her right landing on a pair of neglected pants, her left falling on a small stuffed toy near the foot of her bed. She grasped at it, picking it up and placing it on her face without looking. It felt like her favourite, a stuffed kitten with a large head she had been given as a baby by her mother. It made her happy.

Finally sitting up again, she looked down at the toy. Old, rough around the edges, two resewn seams, a little worn out from the many trips through the washing machine. But still in one piece, and still with the little feline smile on its face. Its black plastic eyes still held all the joy and childish wonder that they always had. Ruby remembered a time she had lost this little cat while playing outside in the woods as a little girl. She had cried for a whole week, and no amount of ice cream or hugs from her dad had helped. She had felt so _alone_ without it. A weary smile fell on her face, and she hugged the toy tight to her breast, wrapping her arms tighter over herself. After her mother had found it on that fallen tree two weeks later, she had promised to never let it out of her sight. This poor toy had been through hell, but it always remained smiling.

She stood slowly, placing the little orange and white cat on her shoulder and trying to balance it there. Pacing slowly over to the short oak dresser on the opposite wall, she kicked a few carelessly strewn bits of clothing around the hardwood floor. She grabbed one of the brass handles that lined the front of the dresser, yanking open the second to top drawer. Underwear. She reached in, pulling out a pale pink bra she had long forgotten she owned. It seemed like it was too small in her hands, so she flipped it around and thumbed the little cotton label. _Thirty-two B_.

"Ha!"

She scoffed, tossing the garment back into the drawer and pulling out something she knew would actually fit properly. It was grey, strapless, and very minimally padded. She sighed, turning away from the dresser without closing it. It would close itself, right? Her butt fell back on the foot of the bed as she spun around, facing the mirror against the wall. Carefully placing her little velvet-skinned friend onto the bed next to her hip, she fiddled with the stupid triple-hook clasp on the back of the old brassier. Once unhooked, she slid it up under her shirt, hoisting her boobs upward and into the comfortable silk cups. The clasp was harder to do up behind her back than she remembered. But, she had it back together quickly, standing up and grabbing her stuffed cat from the bed.

"You're coming with me today, okay?"

The toy simply smiled at her question, its big ears flopped backward. Ruby sniffled, flipping the ears back the right way with her thumb. She caught a glimpse of herself in the mirror as she went to stand again. Her hair, brown like a dark walnut sheet, was long and unruly, and had curled itself around the ends. The two straight days of sleeping had given her hair that looked very much like her sister's except brown, and greasy from not being washed. Her face, however, didn't have a girlish charm like her messy hair did. The bags under her eyes could have transported at _least_ three weeks worth of groceries. All of her carefully applied makeup was gone! She snorted at herself. She didn't even wear makeup, save for special occasions for her other work. She was a radio DJ for her regular job, after all. It still looked like she had been in a fist fight with the Sandman. She approached the mirror. Gods, her pores were a mess. Served her right for never cleaning her face properly. It looked like the surface of mars on her cheeks and nose.

"Goddamn it."

Cursing in her own general direction was all she could do. A trip into town would have to be made to buy toner and face wipes. Maybe some concealer too, just to mask it for the time being. She sighed again. She looked like a mess. But, an eighteen-hour train ride and an immediate twelve-hour flight wasn't _supposed_ to be good for you. Her fingers squeezed down again on the stuffed cat. She looked at it again, not wanting to put it down. It was still smiling. At least someone still could.

"Alright. Let's go."

She _tried_ to sound reassured of herself. She pulled the neck of her shirt away with a finger, and tucked the little stuffed animal's legs and tail down into her cleavage. She let her collar snap back, tucking the fabric under the animal's arms so it would stay in place. She sighed with a more contented air about her. It felt kind of nice to have something so soft between her breasts, so close to her heart. Like a hug from someone who cared unconditionally. She placed her chin on the top of the cat's head, nuzzling between the little velvet ears. It felt good.

She reached for the doorknob. With her fingers wrapped loosely around it, she sent a cursory glance back over to her bed. In all of two steps she could be back in it and asleep again. Then she wouldn't have to face anyone. However, she remembered the omelettes. Maybe that was better than sleep and isolation. Well, Yang's omelettes _were_ delicious. She turned the knob and pulled.

The light from the hallway flooded her vision, as the curtains at the end of the hallway were open to the morning sun. She squinted, fearing a sunburn. The quiet shade of her room seemed _considerably_ more attractive now. Real life was just far too well-lit. The hardwood creaked and groaned underfoot as she made the slow walk towards the kitchen, her chin resting comfortably on her stuffie. The smell of onion being cooked along with the sound of sizzling made her feel instantly more comfortable. She braced herself against the wall, moving as quietly as she could on the hundred-year-old floor. She stopped on the threshold, peering anxiously across the living room toward the kitchen. Nobody seemed to be in the kitchen, and the frying pan seemed to be unattended.

 _Smells like egg._

With a quick scoot, she moved across the house to the small breakfast table that sat right next to the sliding glass door at the back of the house. The chair slid out silently against the tile floor in the kitchen, and she dropped herself into it. Her shoulders slumped forward as she tried her best to hide from everyone while still appearing to make an effort. Where was everybody, anyway?

" _Ahh, poopy."_

Some commotion from the pantry alerted her attention. The luscious blond locks, tied up today into a ponytail, bounced out of the door backwards, attached to her chef for the omelette she was promised. Yang spun around, a bag of flour in her arms and half of its contents all over her green apron. Ruby tried to hide even more. It was for moot, however, as the instant that Yang's eyes turned from the bag in her hand to her sister, her sour expression lit up and she gave the warmest of smiles in her direction.

"Hey, baby sis!"

Ruby's face cracked, despite trying to appear reserved and brooding. Yang had that effect on people.

"Hello."

"Sleep well? Still nursing that hangover?"

Ruby frowned.

"I'm not hung over."

Yang shrugged dramatically, dropping the broken bag of flour onto the counter, and placing her left hand onto her hip, just above the frayed jean shorts she wore far too often. She swung said hips to one side.

"Okay, not hungover any _more?"_

Ruby slunk further down onto the chair.

"I wasn't!"

"Oh, so the mysterious disappearance of two whole cartons of chocolate milk two nights ago and your refusal to come out of your room except during the nighttime is a complete coincidence?"

"Probably."

Yang let out a hearty laugh, brushing a few errant bangs out of her face and back behind her ear. She prodded over, her long, tanned legs carrying her in no more than three elegant steps. Ruby's eyes traced down them as her sister moved closer. Odd. Yang had painted her toenails red. That seemed stra-

-and now she was getting hugged. Yang's muscular arms squeezed around her upper body, pulling her into her large and flour-covered bosoms.

"Oh, Ruby. Never change."

"Mmmff!"

Yang released her, giving her a second to take a breath. Yang placed both of her hands onto her shoulders, holding her at arms length. Yang's soft lavender eyes looked her up and down, as if looking for problems that may or may not have hidden beneath the surface. Ruby lowered her shoulders under her sister's hands. Wait, hands? Something didn't feel right. The hand on her right shoulder felt fine, but the one on the left seemed different. She looked down at her shoulder, expecting to see the black aluminum fingers that were on the end of Yang's robotic prosthesis. This is not what she saw, however.

At the end of a quick-release wrist joint was a short, wide, plastic spatula, coated in butter and egg residue. She stared at it. It was warm from the grill, and while it clearly served a practical purpose, it made her feel very uncomfortable to see anything other than a hand at the end of Yang's wrist. The spatula was removed from her shoulder as her sister returned to the sizzling frying pan, lifting it off the stovetop in her left hand. It was weird to watch Yang pick up a plate using only the spatula-hand, placing it down on the table before her. She tilted the pan towards it, effortlessly picking up the folded-over egg pancake and depositing it onto the little blue plate. Ruby watched, perplexed. How was it that Yang was able to turn such a tragic occurrence into a practical and culinary tool?

"There you go, hun! One of my world-famous cheese 'n onion omelettes! Need me to grab you a fork?"

Ruby nodded, still a little distracted by the arm. Yang retreated into the kitchen, placing the pan into the sink and shutting of the gas stove with a loud click. She watched as Yang clicked the quick-release and popped the spatula off of her wrist, tossing it as well into the sink, before picking up her actual hand from what Ruby guessed was a protective case and clicked it back into place. After a few test wiggles of her fingers, she grabbed a fork out of the cutlery drawer and handed it to her, sitting down across the table. Ruby twirled it in her fingers.

"So are you gonna eat my food, or are you gonna let it get cold?"

As an answer, Ruby shoved a large forkful of omelette into her mouth. Her whole body melted in an instant, as the hot cheddar cheese warmed her from the inside out. Nothing short of magnificent, she thought.

"Oh my god, Yang. How're you such a good cook?"

Her sister shrugged, placing her elbows on the table and resting her chin in her hands.

"Dunno. Maybe it's the last five years having to cook for dad. Guy never learned how."

Ruby turned her attention to her sister, taking another large bite.

"He what?"

"Yeah, I thought the same thing. I guess we don't remember how he never cooked for us before we went to school. I had to pick up some skills so we wouldn't die of vitamin deficiencies."

"Huh."

There was a short, sweet silence as Ruby noisily shovelled more of the food into her mouth. It was _excellent._ She felt a little bit of regret as she realized she wasn't savouring it.

"I see you brought Francis out of hiding, Ru."

Ruby pulled her chin down, pressing her stuffed cat deeper into her shirt. Yang made that face again. The ' _you're my adorable baby sister_ ' face. What a meanie.

"Yeah? What of it?"

"Ain't nothin' about it. Just mentioning it."

Ruby reached up with her free hand and pulled the stuffed cat, Francis, out from her shirt. The warm feeling of the stuffed toy between her breasts was quickly replaced by the cold of the air in the house. She placed Francis onto the table, carefully positioned so her sister couldn't swipe it from her. She sighed, fiddling with the toy's little ears. Francis was a good friend. Named after a philosopher her mother used to quote. Reading maketh a full man, and all that.

"Yeah. I dunno, I just thought I needed a little cuddle. Maybe I'm different."

"Probably."

Ruby continued to play with Francis' ears for a moment, finishing the remnants of her omelette. Her fork scraped loudly on the ceramic plate, which had just been emptied. Her fork was released from her grip onto her place, clattering loudly, louder than she had intended. She winced, before standing up and collecting her plate. It took a second to stand all the way up, as her hips had decided to lock up and groan back at her. Her feet slipped on the tile, but she eventually got to the sink, dropping her plate into it. She felt a spot on her stomach itch. Gosh, everything was getting itchy recently. She slid her shirt up on her wrist, digging her nails into the itchy spot that sat a few inches above the long horizontal scar.

"Speaking of different, might you enlighten me as to the reason you have neglected _pants,_ Ru?"

Ruby looked down.

 _Oh shit._

Her face went fully red.

"I, uh..."

"Don't worry, I'm just teasing you, hun. I forget to put pants on far more often than you, probably. It's fine if you wanna sit around in your man-panties."

"They're not man-panties!"

"They _so_ are!"

Ruby wanted to toss something, but there was nothing soft within reach. Well, that wasn't fully true. If she threw Francis, Yang would probably grab him and book it out of the house to try and encourage a childish chase. She elected to instead pick up the little kitten toy and retreating to her room, her arms angrily held above her head. She slammed the door to her room as she entered, returning to the dark silence she had been enjoying. Now Yang couldn't tease her. She sighed deeply. Her room seemed smaller now that she was standing up, but it magically hadn't cleaned itself in her absence. Pity.

A pair of faded and ripped blue jeans hung out of one of the drawers on her dresser. She grabbed it, turning around and flopping down onto her bed. Her legs didn't want to go into the godawful denim sleeves. She pulled even harder, threatening to rip the fabric. She stopped with the pants pulled only up to her knees, laying back onto her bed again.

"Darn."

With a few well-placed kicking motions, the pants were off again and tossed against the window. She sat up again, digging through the closest drawer to herself, pulling a beige pair of cargo shorts from the very bottom. Another hand-me-down from her sister. She placed them against her hips. They seemed considerably larger in size to her old pair of jeans. A lot wider than most of the other stuff, too. She frowned, looking around. Perhaps she should have bought new clothes, seeing as she had grown up a little.

The cargo shorts went on without any hassle at all, easily sliding up her muscular legs and up over her wide and womanly hips. The shorts were still a _little_ loose on account of Yang being still a little bit of a larger person on the whole. She stood up, holding the waist of the shorts with her left hand as she fiddled around in the drawer again for a belt. Finally satisfied, she left her room again. Not that she _really_ wanted to, though.

Her sister was still in the kitchen, scrubbing soap into a pan and humming something to herself. Her right hand sat detached from the wrist on a little towel by the windowsill. Ruby sniffed, grabbing the other girl's attention.

"Oh hey, you got dressed!"

"Yeah, I guess. Nothin' fits me anymore."

"That's because you're a woman now. Do you want me to take you shopping?"

Ruby scoffed.

"Please, Yang. Shopping is like, your _least_ favourite activity."

The blond at the sink shrugged, pulling her hands from the sudsy water. Her right hand was replaced by a scrubbing brush, using the same quick-release wrist attachment as the spatula from earlier. It made her giggle to herself.

"Yeah, whatever. You still need new clothes."

"So where's dad?"

Yang pointed out the window with her brush-hand.

"Outside. Cutting firewood. S'posed to be cold-ish tonight."

Ruby leaned herself against the picture window, gazing out onto the back yard. She could hear the quiet thudding of an axe against the chopping block coming from the clearing a little ways into the woods. She sniffed, rubbing her nose on the back of her hand and staring out the window. The trees swayed in the late-summer breeze, signs of the coming autumn present in the yellowing leaves of the large sugar maple at the edge of the fence. Yang appeared behind her, placing her left elbow down on her shoulder. Ruby made a face, trying to wiggle away. Yang didn't let her, wrapping both her arms around her, brush-hand still attached.

"I ain't lettin' you go, sweet cheeks. You're gonna have to try harder than that."

She did as requested, trying torque her torso out of the woman's robotically-enhanced muscular grip. It was for naught. Yang was somehow actually stronger, even if she _wasn't_ a trained soldier. And what did she mean ' _sweet cheeks',_ anyways? Had she been _staring?_

"Yaaaaang! Let gooooo!"

As much as she was trying to protest, she didn't _really_ want Yang to stop. Her struggling subsided for the time being, and she slumped herself into her sister's all-consuming hug. It felt nice. Just to be held, even for only a minute. Tears threatened to flow.

 _No, please... I want to be normal..._

One broke free. It slid down her face, coming to a stop on the edge of Yang's left forearm.

 _Oh. Okay._

Before she had a chance to let the rest go down her face, the hug tightened, and her ears were filled with the sweet, soft voice of her hugger.

"Hey hun, don't be upset..."

Yang stepped back a little, cupping her cheeks in her hands. Ruby's gaze was brought up to her sister's soft, reassuring eyes and lovely blond hair. It felt good to have someone here to hug, even if she didn't know why she needed one. She lay her cheek into Yang's right hand.

As quickly as she had felt upset, she suddenly perked up again. Yang's right hand seemed...prickly. Ruby's brow furrowed.

"Yang..."

Catching on, Yang let go of her face, laughing brightly as she retracted her hands, one real and one brush. She once again pulled off her false hand, turning back to the kitchen and depositing it in a drawer. Her regular hand was clipped back into place with a very amused smile. She hooked her arm around Ruby's shoulders.

"Hey, you got a little..."

Yang wiped a smudge of soap off her cheek.

"There you go, hun. Wanna go outside?"

"I guess so."

The patio door slid open, bringing in the warm summer air into the kitchen. Ruby stepped out, into a pair of rubber boots sitting on the step, Yang following suit. It was much too bright outside, making her squint, and bring her hand up to her eyes. The dusty ground was a lot harder than she remembered, the clay baked by the summer sun into an almost concrete-like surface. The buzz of the cicadas filled her ears, the smell of maple trees and corn filled her nose. Just the sight alone of the barn next to the house made her smile much wider than she had in a while. She was _home._ And it felt great. They made their way down the gravel path that lead to the woodpile.

Their dad came into view, in the little clearing. A pile of split wood sat in the back of his crappy old truck, with a much larger pile of yet-to-be-split wood lining the edge of the clearing. He saw them approach, placing his axe down next to the large stump he was using as a chopping block. He smiled, wiping a line of sweat off his forehead and replacing it with a smudge of dirt.

"Hey, it's my two favourite people in the world!"

His enthusiasm was contagious. Her face couldn't _not_ smile at her own father's cheerful attitude. He pulled his hat off his sweaty blond hair. Yang bounced over, slinging her arm around is shoulders.

"I'm glad you were able to convince the hermit to come out of her cave!"

"Yeah, and it only took a little egg-based bribery!"

"Guess you could say it was an _egg_ cellent idea, then!"

Her sister and her father burst out laughing at their own little exchange, the two blonds clutching their chests and doing the 'slapping knees' thing she didn't quite understand. Ruby dropped her face into her hands. Even by Yang and Dad standards, that was terrible. Horrible, even. Rife with inadequacies only the worst comedians were capable of. She let out a deep sigh into her hand, rubbing her temples roughly with her index finger and thumb. The were _not_ funny.

"Ugh, you two. Why am I related to you?"

Her dad held his hat to his breast, a morose expression crossing his face as he pulled his taller, blonder daughter closer to his side.

"My one regret in life is that there are only two of us... I don't know Xiao-much-Longer the world can live with so few good jokes in it."

Another, more powerful sigh escaped her lips. What a joke _they_ were.

"Your puns make me bleed."

"Yeah, well..."

He slapped his hands together, putting his hat back onto his head. He let go of Yang, pointing his attention back to the woodpile and his axe.

"Right. You two are gonna help me load up the truck. Work'll go a lot faster if we all do it."

Ruby shrugged, pulling her hands out of her pockets. The pile wasn't so big, big enough to fill the truck once, if that. She stepped slowly over, looking idly down at the pile of timber. The splits were even and precise with the sort of accuracy only found in the sort of people who had been woodsmen their whole lives. Her dad, however, was not a woodsman. He was just a good shot with an axe. A _scary_ good shot. He could probably cut a rose in half with the lights off.

 _I mean... isn't that how you were made?_

Ruby dropped the piece of wood in her hands directly onto her toe, her stomach turning. She looked over at her dad, who was chucking piece after piece over the side of the truck bed without stopping. She shuddered quite hard, not wanting to think about him... 'splitting a rose'. Instead of knocking herself out with the log like she so desperately wanted to, she tossed it into the slowly growing pile in the back of the faded and rust-covered blue truck.

After a short while, as she was reaching for another split log, she found there was no more. They had finished up quite quickly, and now the pile was loaded into the tired vehicle. It sat very low on it's rear springs, the fenders almost resting on top of the tires. Ruby kicked her feet a few times in the loose dirt, watching her sister and her dad tie a tarp down over the load. With that done, Yang bounced off back towards the house, leaving just her and her dad. They stood in silence for a moment, the calm breeze encircling their feet with sawdust and dried leaves.

"So Yang's hand is super weird, right?"

"Oh my god, totally. She's had the thing for five years, and I _still_ can't look at it when she puts on a utensil or something. She's my daughter. Not a folding multi-tool. It's creepy."

Ruby laughed, reaching for the passenger-side door handle on the crappy work truck. Even being a veteran hunstman, with twenty-something years of experience killing Grimm, seeing weirder and scarier creatures every foray into the fray, somehow the simple act of his daughter clipping stuff to her wrist was enough to get under his skin.

"You know what the worst one is?"

"What's that?" she asked, pulling the door open.

"She has this one, that's like an air-powered ratchet, but it still needs an air tank to power it, so she still has to hook her wrist up to the air lines in the shop. It's not natural looking! Like, I get that the arm is a result of a bad guy, but she's turned it into an opportunity, which I'm all for, by the way, but the route she went is just _weird-lookin!"_

Ruby had no problem snickering at her father's expense as she climbed up into the tall cab of the old truck as her dad did the same on his side. She settled into the slightly ripped but still comfortable couch-like cloth bucket seat, reaching over her shoulder for the seatbelt.

"Oh, don't bother sweetie. The belt on that side doesn't work. I won't drive too fast, don't worry."

True to his word, the fabric belt was missing from the hanger, and lying on the floor behind the front seats. She shrugged, turning back around. Tai neglected his own seatbelt as well, which wasn't strictly against the law as they were on private property and this truck wasn't road-registered nor did it even wear license plates. He pulled the long stick-shift lever out gear, giving it a few test wiggles to make sure it was in neutral, before turning the key that stuck out of the broken plastic column. The motor wheezed breathlessly, turning over far too many times than it should have, before finally lighting off with a cough of blue-ish smoke out of the tailpipe. Ruby frowned. Something didn't sound right about the engine.

"That doesn't sound like eight cylinders, dad."

He shrugged, popping the transmission back into gear and coaxing the heavy vehicle into forward motion.

"Eh, it's fine. Seven is okay for what I need it to do. I mean come on. I bought this from an army surplus auction for eight-hundred lien like ten years ago. When it dies, I'll just go buy another one. I have a pair of cowboy boots more expensive than this."

Her shoulders slumped. That sucked. She liked this truck, having learned how to drive on it when she was fourteen. This truck was what she used to be taken to school in when she still attended Signal. It would be a dark day if Tai got rid of it. It was practically a family member! However, to his credit, it _was_ falling apart. Like wet tissue paper. The radio? Broken. The four-wheel-drive system? Sketchy. The air-conditioning? Well, it had never worked since before they bought it, so, _broken._ Even the usually reliable fuel-injected overhead-cam engine was only working to eighty-seven and a half percent of it's usual amount. A shame it was.

They came to a stop, next to the large cellar doors that stuck up out of the ground like the entrance to a tornado shelter. Lucky that they were not in a tornado-prone area. That hadn't stopped her and Yang from calling the basement 'the bunker' whenever they went to play down in it, spending hours upon hours of their childhood pretending to be in some form of apocalypse. She smiled.

"Hey..."

She turned, as he shut the noisy, broken motor off. His face no longer displayed the happy-go-lucky expression it always had. He placed his hand on her left knee, looking into her eyes. Ruby's mind hitched for a second, concerned.

"I'm glad you're home, sweetheart."

He had a lot more remorse in his voice than normal. Oh no. He was quiet for a moment, flicking an errant bang off of his forehead. He normally got like this when he had bad news to tell or he was upset about something or other. He squeezed her knee in his fingers.

"I heard about your friend. I'm sorry."

Oh.

 _Oh._

This is not where she hoped the conversation would go. In fact, this was the _specific_ reason she had not come out of her room for the last two straight days. Her face fell. Avoiding the topic had been all she wanted to do. That 'problem' was seven thousand miles away, on another continent. This was about as far as she could afford to run away to. She sagged into her seat. Her voice got lost somewhere in her throat. Again.

She made a silent, pained sound, leaning her head against the window. Maybe she would just fade away and become nothing if she stayed quiet. Then they wouldn't see her anymore.

"I know how you're feeling, kiddo. I know what it's like to see people you love leave."

Did he, though? Had he been in the room when mom had died? Had he held her hand when she took her final breath? Had he watched children get slaughtered during an actual terrorist attack? How many times had he almost died?

 _Pitiful._

She felt like shit for even thinking about it. What kind of scummy person used the misfortune of others to measure themselves. All of the feeling left her body at once. And for what. Some kind of pity party?

"Hey..."

She felt herself getting pulled towards him gently. His arm found it's way around her shoulders, pulling her against his chest across the folding armrest. She sighed instead of letting herself start bawling. How childish that would have been.

"You made the right choice, Ruby, coming home like you did."

His shirt smelled like maple. His heartbeat was very loud in her left ear, thudding dully from inside his chest. His normally stiff dad-hug was much more sincere today. He pushed his face against the top of her hair, mumbling into it.

"No one should have to go through that alone. We're here to help you. Both of us. Okay?"

Help? She didn't want help. She wanted to be alone. Forever. She tried to wiggle free, but his muscular arms refused to let her go. She gave up quickly.

"I remember a time. A time when _my_ team was still whole..."

Some tears fell out of her eyes, on their way to stain his shirt.

"Now, your dad's a strong guy. At least I like to think so. Your uncle likes to say otherwise. But hey, what does he know. He used to not be able to do anything without Raven with him. Gosh, they were like two halves of a whole idiot sometimes..."

She sniffed back a large amount of sadness in her face, clogging up her sinuses.

"Anyway. So we're out on mission, right? First year students, full of enthusiasm, full of drive. Full of ourselves, really. You remember when you guys got to go patrol Mountain Glenn?"

Ruby made a tiny nod, wiping her nose on his shirt a little.

"Well, we got to do something similar. Oz always picks a first year team to go on an away mission. Said it was because we were the strongest team in the school. Probably the wrong thing to say to a bunch of cocky teenagers in hindsight."

He paused, brushing his fingers into her hair. Some of the thick tangles caught them like trapping snares. She tried not to wince too hard as he tried to comb out the tangles.

"There's this little town. About four hours east of Vale. Or, there _was._ That was our assignment. The village of Pastorville. Not a large town, by any means. A little quaint farming town. Nice and tucked away. We were supposed to go in, kill some Grimm, and try and get the CCT link back up and working."

Another pause. This one longer. Almost like he _didn't_ want to remember.

"Our chaperone was a Professor Smith. Real serious guy. Wore a black suit and tie to class every day. Used to yell at the kid in the front row all the time, always going ' _Mister Anderson, I'm very disappointed in your work',_ and generally being kind of stuck up and a dick to the students. But _man_ was he scary in action. Moved faster than anyone I've ever seen. So we get to the town, and he has one rule for us. We work as a team, or we become Grimm food. Seemed like an arbitrary rule at the time."

His voice wavered, and he took another pause. His hands stopped playing with the messy mop of hair on her head. He had to take a few deep breaths before continuing.

"We were stupid kids, thinking we could do everything ourselves. We were so... arrogant. And that was our problem. Instead of working together, Qrow and Raven ran off, and your mother and I were stuck together in a crowd of beowolves. I tried to tell her we needed to wait for backup, but she wouldn't have it, trying to take down a whole pack herself. Told me repeatedly she didn't want my help. We all almost died that day. There was just too many for us to handle by ourselves."

He sounded like he was on the verge of tears. Ruby let herself get hugged tighter to his chest.

"Because we refused to help each other, three quarters of the town suffered because of it. That was ninety-eight people, Ruby. Ninety-eight people died because we were too stupid to get help from each other. To work together."

He sniffled, tears evident in his voice.

"The hardest part was having to bring home Mister Smith. Having to explain to his wife. His family. That _we_ were the reason they no longer had a husband and a father."

He brought her back up into a sitting position, holding her shoulders and looking her in the eye. His were red, she noticed, on the brink of breaking open like a dam.

"I never want to see that again. After that, I vowed to help people who were in danger whether they wanted it or not. That's why I'm a teacher. To make sure I can help people in _need._ Forget about what they want. Nobody knows what they _want,_ sweetie."

She wiped her leaky face on the back of her hand, trying to not look so broken in front of her father. Eh, who cared if she did anyways. He was her _dad._ She let one sob out. He wrapped her in a hug again.

"Do you understand, sweetheart? Your team is your family, and your family is your team. We're _supposed_ to help one another. Back at Beacon, that was your team. Your family away from home. Here, though? You have your sister and me. We're your team now. And teams work together. So we're going to help you no matter what. Whether you want us to or not. Okay?"

Ruby sniffed, wiping her nose on her arm.

"Okay dad."

"I love you, sweetheart. So much."

She mumbled her ' _I love you too_ ' into the fabric of his shirt, leaning her full weight into him. Maybe he was right. Maybe she _didn't_ know what she wanted. She didn't _want_ help. But perhaps she needed it. And maybe help from her dad and from Yang is what she needed right now. A little bit of isolation, but not too much. She smiled, still crying a little. He let go of her, letting her sit back in her seat. His face looked apologetic, but sincere.

"I'm glad you came home."

She nodded.

"Me too."

He reached for his door handle.

"Good. Because from now on, you will be working on the farm. We need all hands on deck this time of year. As long as you're home, you're gonna do your share around here."

His expression was a lot more energetic again. Back to normal, she thought. It made her smile again. She wiped the last of the tears out her eyes, nodding.

"I can do that. Thanks, dad."

He slapped her on the shoulder with one of his wide, muscular farmer hands.

"No problem, kiddo. You can start by re-stocking the woodstove room."

She nodded, stepping from the truck.

The first step.

It was time to rebuilt.

A hint of doubt coiled inside.

Could she do that?

She certainly hoped so.


	25. Chapter 25: Anger

Chapter 62

The door clicked shut behind her. Her back fell against it, making her shiver slightly from the cold wood. Before her, the grand entrance of the manor loomed back at her in the mid-day light. The polished marble floor reflected her face back up at her as she looked down at her feet. The air felt dead.

The Schnee Manor had never felt _less_ like home.

Weiss slunk down against the floor, letting her two large suitcases just sort of fall over, clattering loudly. The floor itself was even cold against her butt as she sat down, pulling her legs against her chest. What a miserable, pathetic excuse for a day. Two days stuck in airports, delayed flights, and a chauffeur who was late? She shivered, not making any sound. Some of the snow that had collected in the thick fur collar of her winter jacket fell out onto the floor as it began melting. It left a wet patch around her butt. Not that that mattered anymore.

 _Nothing_ mattered anymore.

What was the point? What was the point of anything anymore? Was the whole reason she existed at all to be the pawn in some treacherous romance plot where she would always loose? Every _single_ instance where she could have had what she wanted had been squandered. Did she ever once think about anyone other than herself? No, don't be stupid. Nine years, wasted. Just like that. Some treacherous plot it was, indeed.

What was it she wanted, exactly? Ruby? Probably. But in what way? She couldn't bring herself to think about it. Not that she even knew _how_ to think about it.

Perhaps it was the sexual aspect. Yeah, that sounded right. A selfish desire for the busty and muscular body that the once frail and delicate girl had been blessed with was certainly appealing to her. Huge tits, wide hips, skinny waist, muscles toned and defined enough to make most professional boxers go green with envy. Nothing short of _goddess-_ level attractiveness. And she _wanted_ it. She wanted to tear the woman's clothes off, and ravage her until neither party could breathe, walk, or even _think_ straight. What a joy _that_ would have been. An unattainable, unbelievable, unrealistic joy she would never get. It was unfair how hot Ruby was, and how _close_ she had come to getting to sleep with her. Maybe that's _all_ she had wanted. Once around the block and then home.

Did she really only see the poor girl as a sexual conquest? Well for one, she had never been with anyone else, so she didn't even fully know if what she imagined sex to be like was real. And touching herself in the shower probably didn't count towards that, either.

What even _was_ sex? Two adults getting naked and touching each other? Sounded like a pretty gross thing if she thought about it hard enough. Nudity in itself was a stupid social construct, so why did sex have to be the same? It hurt her just to imagine it. Seeing of course, as she would never again get it. From _anyone._

The romantic attraction is what worried her more than any petty, gross, sexual feelings she once imagined she had.

 _Romance? Love? You sully yourself._

Of course she did. Love was such a fickle thing. An emotion so simple, and so complex at the same time, that she rarely believed she was capable of feeling it in genuine. She remembered a quote that Klein used to recite to her over and over. Something his wife had told him very early on in their relationship, and he had tried his hardest to drill into her head, lest she end up like her mother. Unhappy and married to an asshole.

" _Don't look for someone you think you want to love. You'll know when you love someone. They'll be the person who welcomes you into their house at two-thirty in the morning to eat pizza and throw socks at each other. The person you argue about the nutritional value of celery with at the grocery store. The person who wakes up in bed next to you, kisses you, and says 's'up dude' in a semi-ironic way. That's what love means. Attachment, commitment, attraction, and stupidity."_

The quote was usually finished with ' _and celery is useless, don't listen to Clara, she's wrong'._ The quote itself held no value anymore. She had tried. _Really_ tried to have all of that. 'Advanced friendship' as she had called it to herself. She tried the attachment, making Ruby the centre of her life and her best friend before anyone else at Beacon. Before Blake, before Yang, before Pyrrha, Ren, and Nora even. She had done nothing but hang out with the girl, every day after class, every weekend, every spare moment of time was spent just sort of being around each other.

That clearly hadn't worked. Ruby wasn't _attached_ to her. She was as disposable as a McAlbert's Slappy Meal bag. Ruby had only ever come to her when she felt like she needed to run away. She wasn't Ruby's friend. She was her security blanket. That wasn't attachment, that was reliance. When a person experiences a traumatic event, or events _plural,_ it's not unexpected for them to need somewhere to run to. Even Weiss herself could admit to needing to run away sometimes. She used to use the loft above the manor library, a place with soundproof walls and stacks of books she had 'borrowed' from the library proper. It was a place where her parents' arguments and shouting matches couldn't reach her.

But she didn't _want_ to be her loft, her security blanket. She wanted to be her _girlfriend._ Her best friend, too. She just wanted to be _with_ Ruby, above all else. Was that strictly too much to ask? Apparently so. Nobody else in her life meant as much to her as the short, gorgeous, dorky brunette. She hadn't seen Blake or Yang in _years_ since she had moved back to Atlas, so they weren't very high up on her list of friend list simply because of lack of connection. The last person she had spent an extended period of time with who wasn't one of her siblings or business partners would have to have been her university roommate, Ann. But Ann had spent most of her time partying, sleeping with rockstars, and being generally elusive around the dorm.

They had a strange relationship. Despite the general ambiguity of Ann's presence in the dorm, they still spent a reasonable amount of time hanging out, even if it was only for two years. Some people around them even assumed they were an item, which Ann would always adamantly deny with a loud outburst and a lot of stomping around. Although to their credit, they never really had any relationships outside of their own, save for Weiss having Ruby and Ann having that 'thing' one time with that musician.

To a degree, they had been at least semi-committed to each other. Every morning they would wake up at the same time, go to breakfast, attend their respective classes, and return to the dorm for dinner and studying. Then she would leave, go to whatever party was currently causing large amounts of property damage and dumpster fires, and not be seen until the next morning when they would start over. It was comforting, if a little strange. It probably felt nice at the time to have a friend who seemed permanent, and who wouldn't walk away for no reason.

Since university, Ann had moved away, gotten married, had a couple of kids, and had settled down in a small suburban community outside Vale so she'd last heard. The quiet life didn't seem to fit the former party-girl, but Weiss wasn't one to complain, so she never mentioned it. Weiss tried not to think about her home life too much, realizing quickly that Ann had everything _she_ wanted at present. A little bit of commitment, a little bit of family, a little bit of love.

But she knew she couldn't have that anymore. Weiss stood up, bracing herself against the door. Her legs wobbled, threatening to give out again. No one was going to be around at this hour, of course. Her brother would be at work, her parents would probably be out at the country club, and most of the serving staff would be at home, as they always had the middle of the day off so they could be at home with their families. She looked around. The artwork stared back at her, as if taunting her. She felt a wave of anger and shame wash over her, realizing her life was in shambles. Or so it felt, anyways.

Without her control, and probably against her own best wishes, her left hand fell to the larger of the two suitcases. The zipper fell open with ease, and her hand slipped inside. She felt around inside for a few moments, before finding exactly what she was looking for. Her fingers coiled around the leather-wrapped grip, her pinkie finger hooking itself just under the pommel, and her index finger resting itself against the chamber trigger. With both a pushing motion and a forward pull, she extracted the long and elegant weapon from her case, shoving the white leather suitcase to the floor. Myrtenaster's long and scary sharp blade scraped sonorously against the metal zipper of the bag as it was pulled from it, ringing softly in the silent air.

Her heartbeat increased. Quickly. The handle felt foreign in her grasp, cold and far away. She grasped it tighter in an attempt to steady her shaking hand. To little avail, it seemed. The sound of her boots on the floor was deafening in the empty house as she took a few tentative steps into the vast empty lobby, eyeing the few statues lining the far wall. A collection of medieval suits of armour sat lining the bottom of the gigantic staircase. She grimaced. Why did she even still have these things? They were a forgotten relic from a forgotten time her father had decided to outfit the manor with during his ownership of it. And now that she herself held the ownership papers, she had just left them be, not bothering to ever move or replace them. A burden, they were.

Perhaps a bit of remodelling was necessary. A sharp anger boiled inside her. Closing the distance quickly to one of the unnecessarily polished steel suits, she held out her rapier before herself. The statue seemed taller up close. Her eyes only came up to the middle of the stomach on the old war outfit. Electing for a higher vantage point, Weiss jumped as high as her legs allowed, summoning a glyph beneath her feet. It was a meter and a bit extra, but it was enough to get her eyes in line with the lifeless figure's face. She teetered on one foot, trying to keep her balance on the centre of the narrow snowflake-shaped platform. It had been a long time since she had wanted or needed to use her semblance, anyways. She paused, trying not to lose focus and drop herself.

With a restrained cry, she swung the delicate Mytenaster like a broadsword, carving a huge arc of shimmering anger towards the neck of the armour. Titanium impacted steel, sending the suit of armour clattering to the floor with a cacophonous noise. Pieces of the thin plywood frame that held up the suit scattered wildly across the floor. From her perch on the floating glyph, the broken soldier looked a lot smaller splayed out on the marble. She smirked. Pitiful.

Her head snapped around to look at the line suits of armour on the other side of the staircase. More useless scrap for her to... recycle. A quick flick of her wrist lit up a short trail of glyphs along the front of the stair. With a minimal amount of skip in her step, she crossed over to the second row of suits, still floating above the ground. As soon as she reached the next offending steel exoskeleton, the remaining glyphs disappeared into thin air with a sizzle. Odd. They didn't use to do that.

Pushing the thought to the back of her mind, she focused her attention back onto the statue. It didn't flinch when she raised the tip of her sword to it's chest. Not that it _would,_ of course, being inanimate. Bracing her right foot behind her and tucking her right arm behind her back, she gave a few test flicks against the steel breastplate. With a sniffle of restrained anger, she gave a harsh jab forward, the expertly sharpened blade piercing directly through both ends of the armour, severing the wooden support structure inside. The suit, however, didn't fall over as she pulled her sword out of it, as she had expected it to. Her eye twitched. This wouldn't do.

"Useless!"

She screamed, swinging Mytenaster across the statue's neck, actually slicing the metal open with a clean efficient cut. It toppled to the ground with the sound of a hundred-piece brass orchestra falling off a cliff. Quickly forming another glyph, she stepped to the next one in line with a loud thud of her boots. Another heavy swing of the usually delicate instrument cleaved the artifact in twain, each halve falling loudly onto its neighbour. Another glyph, another opponent waiting patiently for its judgment. And Weiss judged harshly. Her ears were ringing at this point, pained from the sound of crashing metal. She turned on the spot, her long hair swinging around like a whip. She very nearly lost her balance, stumbling on the glyph. These leather boots provided little traction on the glass-like surface of the ethereal platforms. Across the far side of the lobby sat the largest of the statues.

She eyed it with displeasure. It stood a leviathan eleven and a half feet tall, made of the finest carbon steel and magnesium. Its peaked helmet gave it a very imposing and aggressive face, very much reminiscent of a large bull with wide horns. She _hated_ this particular relic. It had always frightened her as a child, with its huge, wide-bladed sword it caressed before itself that, despite being only a show piece, was massively sharp. The whole statue, sword and all, weighed something in the region of four thousand kilograms, and it had to be supported by thick braided cables suspended from the ceiling.

Size alone wasn't the only thing that scared her. This particular suit of armour wasn't just as it seemed on the outside. At one point in her family's history, before they lived in Anfang, the Schnee name was a noble one, harking back to the monarchical rule of the kings of old. They had always been a wealthy family, once being a right hand to the king and member of the Atlesian Knights, the then-current patriarch Christian Von Schnee. Her great-great-great grandfather or something like that. This relic was a replica of his personal suit of armour that he wore in service to the king, built for him after he saved the king and the rest of the royal convoy during a Grimm attack on the castle. But that was ancient history.

When she was only eleven, during an annual cleaning of the huge steel structure at a metalsmith in Anima, there was another Grimm attack. Far enough away that nobody save for the metalsmith himself was injured, and remote enough that at first, no one in the family even cared. When the suit was returned, however, it had changed. It started moving on its own. It had become host to a Grimm no one had ever encountered before. A possession-type _intelligent_ Grimm. And it had tried to kill them. Still in the infantile stages of her huntress training, Weiss had stupidly assumed she could take on the massive, _living_ suit of armour all by herself. The four-tonne sword-wielding Grimm had destroyed most of the east wing of the manor in the six and a half hour battle, requiring nearly twelve million lien in repairs.

It had also given her the gaudy scar down the middle of her left eye.

And now it sat, forlorn and forgotten. Never having been cleaned, repaired, or even dusted in the last fourteen years. It still had the puncture wounds she had given it in a vain attempt to flay the hollow steel body. It also still had soot around the cuffs of it's neck and wrists from where she had filled it's chest cavity with a ball of searing flame which finally roasted the Grimm out of it, ending the horrifying battle. Which no one had even offered to assist her in.

Anger flared up again inside her, bringing a red mist to her vision. Her hand wrenched down harder on Myrtenaster's delicate leather grip.

 _Kill it!_

Finally letting a real scream escape her lips, Weiss charged forward. Assisted by a trail of speed-increasing glyphs, she closed the distance to her ancestor's statue in less than half a second, her rapier held out before her in a piercing grip. She was going to tear the stupid thing to bits like it was tin foil.

 _Wham_

Pain blinded her immediately as she contacted the massive thing. Her head spun like she was in a washing machine. Had she not hit it? Certainly no, she had used a precision targeting glyph to guide her forward. She opened her eyes to find herself on the ground face down in the marble, her hands empty of her precious sword and her face in considerable pain. She pushed herself up onto her hands. Two tiny drops of red hit the spot of floor she was looking at. She blinked. Blood? Two more fell. Sitting up, she gingerly touched at her upper lip, pulling her hands away immediately when her face began to sting again. There was blood on her index finger. She looked up at the statue again with fire in her eyes. Myrtenaster was buried hilt-deep in the suit's sternum, some eight feet off the ground. There was a little smudge just to the right side of the impact point.

Weiss stood angrily, teetering a little on her feet as her head seemed to be swimming in a mix of numbness and pain. To her credit, it had been a perfect hit if she was trying to kill the statue. Except it was still just an inanimate replica. And now it taunted her with it's own little game of keep-away, holding the delicate rapier _just_ out of reach. Weiss tilted her head to the side, holding her nose shut with her right hand. She raised her left hand, palm out, and tried to form a glyph on the end of the pommel. A little black ethereal circle opened up, sparked a few times, and fizzled out. Nothing. She let out a sigh. Without her rapier as a focusing tool, she had great difficulty forming accurate glyphs that were any use.

She clenched her fist, reserved to just seething with anger and hatred. How useless she was. Trained as a huntress, well studied in school, and here she was requiring a fucking _ladder_ to collect her weapon. She was useless without it. Her whole body shook. She didn't even know if she _owned_ a ladder. To anyone else this would be hilarious. Weiss gave a harsh chuckle, simply to let the angry air out of her lungs. Wiping the last of the blood off of her nose, she turned away from the huge monster, stepping cautiously back towards the middle of the lobby.

Coming to a stop in the middle, she looked down at her feet. The enormous twelve-pointed snowflake symbol embossed in the marble floor gleamed back up at her, reflecting the similarly shaped chandelier that hung precariously from the high vaulted ceiling. Her shoulders dropped. This was all a pointless waste of time, money, and resources. Such displays of opulence were usually reserved for impressing fellow dignitaries and the like. She had no one to impress anymore anyways. It was all for naught.

Something in the reflection caught her eye. A face, surrounded by white. With a scar. She frowned, glancing back upwards. The painting. She blinked a few times, trying to get her eyes to focus on it from this far below. Standing eighteen feet tall and spanning thirty-two feet across was _the_ painting. The Schnee family portrait, featuring her father, her mother, Winter, Whitley, and herself. Dressed well passed the nines in pristine white suits and elegant ball gowns, they all shared the same lifeless and dismal expression on their faces. As if they all knew some dark and foreboding secret.

She needed to get closer. Closing her eyes, she tried relaxing her whole body as one, keeping her breathing steady and even. She held her palms open and forward, focusing as hard as she could on the floor beneath her. With all the trust of a scared rabbit, she took a step forward.

Her boot connected with a glyph as it hovered only eight inches above the floor. She gingerly ascended it like a stair, pulling her weight up onto it. The next glyph formed soundlessly, just ahead a few feet and another eight inches above. With her eyes still closed, she walked slowly and steadily up the ethereal staircase she was creating for herself. With the sound of humming steel, the lower glyphs started to vanish. She smiled. _That_ was the sound she remembered them making. With a few more steps upward, she came to a stop on the middle of the glyph. Her expensive boots didn't slip this time, giving her a firm and reliable grip on the glassy surface. She opened her eyes.

Dead centre. She was directly in line with the middle of the painting, where she herself looked back out from the canvas surface. Painted in pale white, her acrylic skin shone back in the midday sunlight, reflecting the drab and two-dimensional personality she figured was fairly accurate now. She elected to examine the painting. Drawn very scaled-up, everyone was much larger than they were in real life. Her sister, who was placed in the back right of the picture and normally stood six-foot-one, was a gargantuan _fifteen_ feet tall. Her brother, even, who was not a tall guy, was painted to be nearly _thirteen_ feet tall. The scar on her face alone stretched to almost a foot long. She wondered how much pale pink paint had been wasted in making the scar alone.

The dress she wore was horrible. Floor-length, hooped at the bottom, corseted, and a ridiculous creamy-white colour. It looked like it was midway between a wedding dress and a Victorian-era ball gown, complete with too many petticoats even for the artist to have drawn in this scale. Her hands, covered in bicep-length white gloves, lay crossed on her lap, holding a tiny baby-blue clutch she couldn't remember if she owned, or if it was added by the artist afterwards. She probably had something similar in her house-sized closet.

She wanted to reach out and touch the painting, but she was just slightly out of reach. What would she have done, anyways? Caressed the acrylic? She was still to angry. She blinked a few times. Something drastic was creeping into her mind.

 _Do it._

She raised her hand, arm outstretched, palm turned upwards to the ceiling. A glyph hummed into existence halfway between her fingertips and the painting, no more than a metre across and slowly rotating clockwise. She winced, trying to keep the glyph in focus. It was much, _much_ harder doing this without her rapier in hand. With a slow turn of her wrist downwards, the glyph faded to a silvery grey colour, then to a mirror-smooth black. Her hand ached from the strain of keeping the glyph in focus and in existence, her wrist _demanding_ she release. But she couldn't. Not when she was this high off the ground.

Pulling her hand slightly towards herself, the glyph slowly doubled in size, until it stood at a height equal to that of her painted reflection. Pausing for a moment, Weiss let out the breath she had been holding, allowing her aching and stiff chest finally have some reprieve. The moment she spared herself was enough to think critically about her actions today. How wasteful she felt...

...or would have if she had actually used the time to reflect. Instead, she used it to focus the glyph to a standstill, aligning it perfectly with the painting. Finally satisfied, Weiss placed her left foot back behind her right, holding her right hand steady. Her eyes shot open, filled with a fire she didn't know she could have for a _painting._ The glyph flashed red. She let go.

 _ **WHAM**_

With a cacophonous noise, the painting _exploded,_ taking a huge chunk of retaining wall out with it. Plumes of concrete dust rose from the room behind as large pieces of wall fell loudly to the floor. Her hands shook as she watched the rubble collect on both sides of the new hole in the wall, the light from the adjoining room almost blinding. Taking a second to catch her breath, she examined her handiwork. No longer was she in the painting, replaced instead by a new massive hole.

 _Heh..._

She was just too angry and frazzled to even _begin_ to laugh at that rather crass and uncouth joke as she normally might have. She did, however, realize she needed a drink. Letting her shoulders relax and her arms fall back to her sides, Weiss released the glyph she was stood on, falling backwards. With an elegant flip, she landed upright on her feet on the marble floor below, her long and flowing hair billowing around her face as it had been left untied. Wobbling for a second on her legs as her hair briefly blinded her. With an angry flick of her head, she began the long march to the kitchens.

The Schnee Manor was a large building. _Very_ large. _Ostentatious,_ even. Situated on a forty-five acre plot of land in the very middle of Anfang, it took up more space than even the Atlesian parliament buildings, complete with a fifteen-foot high concrete and wrought iron fence encircling it on all sides. Well, not the side with the hundred-foot high sheer cliff that faced the south side of the city. The manor wasn't a house in the strictest sense. The same architect who had built the Atlesian royal palace in König had designed this massive eyesore. It had an aircraft-hanger sized garage built undergroud, a regulation olympic swimming pool in the east wing, and a library the size and density of the Atlas national archive. The national _freaking_ archive!

It also had a kitchen. It was the size of medium sized four-bedroom house. Three full stories high not including the vast wine cellar, it came complete with every conceivable cooking implement, including ceiling-high ovens and woodstoves, _two_ walk-in freezers, an elevator, and seven individual kitchen sinks. Seven! Who the hell needs that many kitchen sinks?! Well, it was a good thing that the kitchen was in its own wing of the house then, or else someone might misconstrue her as being a little 'over the top'.

The passageway to the culinary wing was, unfortunately, just as ridiculous as the rest of the mansion. The walk along the vaulted corridor was blinding, as the floor-to-ceiling stained glass windows faced directly towards the sun seemingly at all times of day. She had to squint.

The large door to the kitchen read 'Staff Only" in large gold letters on the front. Amusing, as this sign was only supposed to be followed by guests of the house. Weiss could come and go as she pleased. This was _her_ stupid house. With a forceful shove of the stiff oak door, Weiss found herself in the main prep area of her dumb kitchen. The three rows of stainless silver range tops stretched down to the end of the massive first floor. All of her fancy and exuberant side dishes were made in this room, along with the hors d'oeuvres that were served to any and all house guests. She ran her hand along the edge of the closest row, her fingers brushing over the polished burner dials. The nameplate on the front of the range glinted back at her in the sunlight. These were the most powerful, hottest elements money could buy, capable of well over six-hundred degrees of heat.

And she briefly considered what it might do to her hand.

Clenching her fist and looking elsewhere, she moved towards the stairs leading down to the cellar. Each step creaked mildly under her boots, making her cringe internally. However, years of service to her family with thousands of trips up and down these steps meant the creaking was both expected and acceptable. She still thought about calling a construction contractor to fix the noise.

The cellar was cold. Well, chilled actually. The dark room came into light as she smacked the switch on the wall. Kept at a chilly forty degrees, the walls were lined with a library-like series of wooden shelves, filled to the ceiling with something like a fifteen hundred bottles of alcohol. Something caught her eye across the room. A single bottle, in a dimly lit green crystal case all by it's lonesome on the wall. Weiss moved over to it slowly, as if her movements might wake it up. She peered at it through the glass. The deep red liquid was housed in a delicate blown-glass flute, more akin to a fine conical flower vase than a bottle of wine. It only held enough wine for one drink, however, and it had never been sampled by anyone since it was purchased _seventy-three years prior._

And now it was just taking up space. She gently pulled at the little chrome tab at the base of the glass door, swinging it slowly open with a _whoosh_ of liquid nitrogen depressurizing. The tiny ampoule of liquid was lighter in her fingers than she was expecting given the thickness of the glass capsule. She examined it before her, running her fingers over the little silver and gold inlay on the vial, reading _Penfolds 1940_ in glimmering script. With a twist of the glass cap to pull it free, Weiss gave the wine a moment to breathe. Satisfied she had alcohol'd enough, she raised the vial to her lips, sending it all back in one go.

 _What the hell is this shit?!_

The taste could only be described as _absolutely putrid._ Coughing violently so as to not vomit the wine back into its fancy wooden cabinet, she spun around, grabbing the closest bottle on the middle rack. Another red wine, this one a **Château d'Yquem 1811. Not having a cork remover handy, Weiss went with the more barbaric option, cracking the neck of the bottle against the edge of the shelf. Bringing the broken neck of the bottle up to her face, she tried her best to wash the sour and vicious taste of the Penfolds out of her mouth. The d'Yquem certainly tasted** ** _so_** **much better, even if she hadn't let it breathe properly or even bothered to pour and swirl it. Downing the whole litre and a half of wine in no more than three seconds, she stopped to have a breath herself, realizing her body was shaking from the sensory assault.**

She leaned against the wall, grabbing another bottle of alcohol from the closest shelf. This one, a Dalmore 62 red whisky, felt very heavy in her grasp. The bottle topper came out with a hearty yank, making a loud popping sound as it did. Grabbing the bottle around the neck, she took a swig while pocketing the topper. She pushed off the wall, stumbling forward into the middle shelf, nearly knocking herself out on it. Steadying herself and trying to focus through the haze that had begun to collect in the room, Weiss fumbled her way back to the staircase, having to pull herself up each step one by one. She stopped halfway up the steps to take another drink of the whisky, which went down very smooth and very hot, despite being well chilled.

The light in the kitchen was so much brighter now, and it seemed to be coming in the room at a much steeper angle. It also came with a much increased level of headache. With her legs weakening beneath her quite rapidly, Weiss elected to leave the kitchen. Down to the end of the hall again, she spied the staircase that lead down to the garage. With a smirk, she pushed the door open with the bottle, taking a few more swigs as she descended into the sub-basement. At the bottom of the stairs, she kicked open the unassuming-looking stainless steel door. It hit the doorstop with a crash, nearly punting it through the plaster wall. She found herself in the workshop that was built next to the underground garage. Through the massive glass panels at the edge of the workshop she could see the garage floor laid out in its usual fashion, with the four lines of cars displayed on their individual red carpets.

She moved towards the window, very nearly tripping over the two-post car hoist closest to the door. The smell of motor oil and grease filled her nose as she moved towards the garage entrance door, a smell she elected to quell with another large drink of the sharp whisky. She stopped at the glass. One car in particular stood out to her, making her grimace. How _dare_ it sit there, idle. How dare it even _exist_ in any fashion at all? Weiss looked around, trying to find some way of getting even. Against the large red toolbox in the corner lay her weapon of choice. Picking it up in one hand and taking a swig of whisky in the other, she moved into the garage.

Using the vibrant green head of the massive tool to push the door open, she stomped her way into the garage, her boots muffled by the carpeted flooring. Striding purposefully past the deep ivy green Range-Cruiser and the bright orange Donvkerwolke supercar. She stopped in front of the white whale that made her so angry today. Taking the last drink of the whisky, she placed the now empty bottle on the long and elegant hood of the big white sedan. Her breathing hitched and her legs wobbled as she pulled the hammer up into a two handed grip.

All her senses were slowly muddling together at this point. Some half a million lien in alcohol had just begun to hit her like a train. With a grunt of restrained agony, she hoisted the long-handled tool above her head. She paused, teetering as the heavy headed wrecking weapon tried to pull her to the floor.

" _RRAAAGH_!"

With the heaviest swing she could muster, she sent the head of the twenty pound sledgehammer _through_ the glass bottle, putting a massive dent in the fine aluminum hood of her Klasse-7. Glass showered the floor, falling with quiet tinkling sound as the car's extra-loud alarm started blaring wildly.

" _Useless!"_

Another swing, sending the bright green hammer head into the passenger side front fender. Another nasty dent, crushing the bulging arch over the wheel.

" _It could have been you!"_

Taking the passenger-side mirror off with one swing and carrying through with a second hit to the windshield, Weiss screamed over the sound of the alarm.

"We could have _been there in a day!"_

Another strike, into the rear passenger window. It was true, they could have taken the Klasse-7 instead of Ruby's truck. She _knew_ they should have. The double-pane glass windows gave way _very_ easily thanks to the sledgehammer's bright green head. Her arms were on fire, but she kept swinging, landing a violent blow on the rear fender and knocking the right side taillight housing clean out of the bodywork.

"A hundred and fifty grand _PAPERWEIGHT!"_

The rear bumper came off the car next, the carbon-fibre air diffuser shattering like glass from the heavy impacts. Weiss remembered why she wanted to take her own car over the truck. With a top speed of well into _three hundred_ kilometres per hour, the trip would have taken no more than twenty hours, instead of four days.

"Why?! So you could spend time with _her?_ Unbelievable!"

The choice to take Ruby's truck had been a selfish one on her part. She knew they would need to take the Atlas municipal highways as the big VHI truck couldn't match the hundred and forty kilometre-per-hour minimum speed limit on the _Autobahn_ network. This meant she could spend more time _alone_ with the girl. And being alone would have left her open to _activities._ Activities she never got.

" _Worthless scrap!"_

Moving around to the other side with her vision clouded in a red haze, another blow was landed on the driver side door, leaving a manhole cover-sized dent in the delicate aluminum bodywork.

" _I hate you!_ "

Whether or not the words were directed at herself or the car didn't matter. All that mattered to her was the destruction of the once elegant white sedan. The Klasse-7, to some, was an unattainable dream car with its massive top speed, brutal acceleration, and ultra-precise handling that only the elitest of elite could afford. And this car exactly was even more elite still, being the _only_ one with a _factory installed_ manual transmission.

" _RRAAGHH!"_

With a final blow to the hood in the approximate area of the battery, the alarm and flashing lights were silenced as no doubt one of the battery terminals had just been punted _through_ the battery case itself. The electric door locks all unlatched and the sloping rear hatch sprung open as the power was cut. A neat safety feature in the event of electrical failure, but right now it seemed almost as if the car was mocking her. With a cry, she tossed to sledgehammer across the garage floor, where it thudded to a stop underneath the Range-Cruiser. She heaved her chest a few times, the tears welling up in her right eye.

"We could have been there..."

Her voice went quiet in the now-silent garage.

"We could have been there when she wasn't dying..."

A few days lead time would have meant Pyrrha would have been alive. Or slightly _more_ alive than she had been, right at the end. She sniffled, wiping her nose on her sleeve and stumbling slightly.

"I... could have been...there when it happened..."

Another pause. The ringing in her ears was reaching an unbelievable level of deafening. Her left leg tried to give way as the alcohol had made its way into her extremities. Something in her head clicked.

"I could have been there to _comfort her! It could have been ME she ran to!"_

With a powerful kick, she planted her boot into the fine glass right-side headlight, shattering the assembly with the end of her foot. The glass fragments dug into the rich leather of her boot, ripping back the material and shredding the finish. With a stumble, she fell backwards onto the floor, pulling her foot free with an awkward twist of her ankle. Pain shot up her leg, numbed by the volume of booze in her system, and the feeling didn't quite pass her hips.

" _Why?"_

With a grunt, she pushed herself onto her feet again, her legs once again trying to knock her down. She wiped the tears out of her right eye. A cursory glance back over at the workshop got her blood boiling again. Her hammer was out of her reach, and her leg hurt too bad for another kick. Unsatisfied but in pain, she left the garage with haste. Marching up the two flights upstairs was a painful task on her now-wonky leg and her aching arms.

The grand staircase was steeper than she remembered it being not even a week prior when she had descended down them to the grand dining room to have crepes with the younger woman. It took her much more energy than her body had at this point to pull herself to the top of the carpeted stair, the railing trying its hardest to freeze her hand to it. The house was too cold for her liking, she was noticing. This was to be expected, of course, as she wasn't supposed to have returned for another five days or so, so the building's HVAC system was likely set on power-saving mode. It wasn't cold enough to see her breath as she stomped drunkenly down the upstairs hallway to her room, but it _was_ cold enough to be uncomfortable.

With a purposeful shove from her shoulder, the door with the little _Weiss_ badge on it swung open and bounced against the doorstop with a loud bang. The lights in her room came on automatically as she entered, lighting up the vast expansive bedroom. It had been expertly cleaned and kept up in her absence, all the clothes she had left out on the floor and bed had gone back to the closet, and the bed had been made exactly to her liking. Whoever had cleaned had also bothered to place her stuffed collectible dolls back up in their display cabinet. She eyed the room with distaste. Nearly two-thousand square feet of room stared back at her, beautifully furnished and expensively so. More mental calculations filled her head as she scanned the room.

Sixteen _million_ lien in furniture, fabrics, and flooring. Just in the one room. The rug that sat just at the door was itself nine grand. _Nine!_ She wanted to scream. It was all for show. All of it. Her body twitched. With a very well stifled shout, she stomped over to the makeup table, that was more of a makeup _department_ than just a single table. She kicked the artist's stool out of her way, slamming her hands to the table and peering at herself in the mirror.

" _Ugly..."_

Muttered under her breath and so quiet that even _she_ barely heard it, Weiss sniffed loudly at her reflection. Her face was a scarlet mess of pain. There was a blood stain under her left nostril. Her eyes were bloodshot red and puffed up, and a streak of dried salt stained down her right cheek. Ever since the fight with the possessed suit of armour and the acquisition of the gaudy scar, she had only ever been able to cry out of one eye. And it always left her like this, with one cheek stained with makeup and salt and not the other. On the plus side, she only used fifty percent as many tissues during sad movies compared to anyone else.

" _Fucking joke..."_

She gave herself a pitiful smile. Her teeth, stained by both wine and airport coffee, glared back at her, making her look down at the countertop. The little plush doll of her favourite TV show character sat against the mirror, leaning on a paint-can sized tub of concealer. With a smile, she picked the little toy into her hands. She thumbed the tag out of habit, reading _Valerie the Redeemer_ on the little stripe of white fabric. She remembered loving the show the little character was from. _Tales From Neverwinter,_ she remembered. It was a show about the comical battles of the character and her pluck sidekick, Ephriam the Huntsman. A dumb show, in hindsight. But it was supposed to teach a lesson, one of cultural acceptance and co-operation.

Interesting that her favourite show promoted positive human-faunus relations, especially after she had been lectured for _years_ to the contrary by her father. Weiss nearly spat at her reflection just from the thought. She _hated_ being his daughter. She hated _him._ Years of oppression, years of deceit, and years of being a dick to his children. And all so he could claim the Schnee fortune for himself. He wasn't even actually a Schnee! He was born Jacques Gelè, heir to nothing special at all save for maybe a small rural bank somewhere in Vacuo. In marrying her mother and abusing her last name for himself, he was able to collect on the vast fortune and become probably the richest man in all of Remnant.

That was, of course, until Weiss herself was given control of the family business. But she was still a Schnee. And she hated it every single day. She hated the insidious implications the name itself brought on. A short but _violent_ history of gross misconduct at the hands of her father had turned what was once a prosperous and amicable company into one that promoted the enslavement of thousands. The specific enslavement of _faunus,_ no less. ' _Oh, but we do pay them'._ Sure, with lies, a phony car towing service, and eight percent of what would have been considered minimum wage at the time.

The reparations alone had been something to the effect of seven hundred _billion_ lien. The company had nearly gone into receivership _twice._ She had broken down and sold so many assets that she had very nearly closed the doors and shut down. It was only her own stubborn persistence that kept the business open, including hiring a teem of engineers to produce a whole new series of autonomous mining equipment to replace the workers deep in the dust mines, as well as boosting the wages _well_ above what would be considered even high income. Even the lower-level employees were paid like brain surgeons. Weiss _hated_ the company she ran. Not because it cost her huge amounts of money, no that part was okay. She hated it because it cost her her _soul._

"What _are_ you?"

She questioned hr reflection, wiping her cheek on the back of her palm. Of course, the reflection didn't respond. Everything that she was was _wrong._ A soiled name, attached to what she saw as a soiled person. _Useless._

"...And why do you even _exist!?"_

With a shout, she slammed her fist into the mirror, shattering the lower half into a pile of razor-sharp shards. A sharp pain shot up her arm like she had been electrocuted. Her face in the mirror twisted, her teeth bared. Her hand felt wet as she pulled it off the mirror's backing board, and examining her knuckles, she saw the gallery of cuts she had just given herself. Blood seeped from the lacerations, down her wrist and arm. She looked back at the mirror. Or what was left of it, anyways. The fractured glass turned her face into an abstraction. Some of her hair fell into her face, obscuring her vision.

Her bloodied hand gripped her hair, pulling it from her face. The longer she looked at her reflection, the tighter her grip became, and the more blood seeped out and into the stark white locks. Her other hand fell against the pile of mirror shards, gripping one in her fingers. The pain in her fingers was apparent, but not as scorching as she liked. She wanted nothing more than to pull her own hair out until she passed out from the pain.

She hated her hair.

It didn't represent her.

It was a symbol of her resistance to her father, who hated women with short hair. She had grown it out to exuberant lengths _out of spite_ so her long hair would collect around the house. And now it had been kept this way. And she _hated_ it. She hated what the long hair represented.

"You are _worthless..._ "

With a flick of her neck, she brought the glass shard up to the hand which gripped her hair. The glass dug into her neck, marring a tiny cut. Her breathing increased quickly as the muscles in her arms flexed, gripping both her hair and the glass tighter. Her hands _burned_ from the pain.

" _No more... Never again..."_

With a tiny cry, she drove the piece of mirror through her hair, severing the whole of her ivory locks. Dropping the mass of hair to the ground, she tossed the piece of glass across the room, where it shattered into smaller pieces against the wall. Her lungs burned through the tears. Her head felt...well, in pain from the alcohol, impact with the suit of armour and floor, but it _did_ feel lighter. Almost as if a weight had been lifted from her shoulders. _Almost._

" _I hate you..."_

Her short-but-fluffy-haired reflection glared back at her, making her finally turn away from the counter. With a final sob, she threw herself face-first at the swimming pool-sized bed in the middle of the room. She grabbed a pillow, and pulling it over her head, blocked out all the light in the room.

As much as everything was spinning, it was at least in visible.

Love sucked. Life sucked. She was stuck without the one thing she wanted or even cared about. Ruby was gone from her life, and there was nothing she could do about it.

She screamed into the fine silk sheets.

The world ceased to matter.


	26. Chapter 26: Hero

Chapter 63

 _I just... I don't understand._

 _Why?_

 _It isn't fair._

 _It never is, of course._

 _It's just one long drawn out 'unfair'._

 _I just wanted it to be okay._

 _But then it wasn't._

 _Everything went wrong._

 _And there was nothing I could do._

 _Why?_

 _Why did you do this to me?_

 _I don't know._

 _I had to._

 _It was inevitable._

 _You caused it._

 _It's your fault._

 _It's always your fault._

 _My fault?_

 _Yes._

 _All I said was no._

 _I know._

 _Then how is it my fault?_

 _It just is._

 _I don't understand._

 _You did this to me._

 _I didn't want to._

 _It hurt._

 _You hurt me._

 _I didn't mean to._

 _And I didn't mean to either._

 _Then you wouldn't have done it._

 _Wrong._

 _What do you mean 'wrong'?_

 _You caused it._

 _No!_

 _It's your fault._

 _I don't want it to be!_

 _And now she's dead._

 _How is that my fault too?!_

 _You let her go._

 _Stop!_

 _You know I'm not going to._

 _I know._

 _She's gone and it's your fault._

 _Please stop._

 _It's your fault._

 _Please!_

 _It's your fault._

 _..._

"Ruby?"

Her spoon fell from her hand into the bowl.

"Huh?"

"Hun, you've been staring at your cereal for like, ten minutes. You feelin' okay?"

Shaking her head and grabbing her spoon again, she shovelled another spoonful of soggy cereal into her mouth.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Sorry, I spaced out."

Yang didn't seem convinced, giving her a weary look as she stood up from the table. Ruby ate quietly, finishing her dull and miserable raisin-bran in a matter of moments. The early morning sunlight beaded down on her through the pane glass, which had fogged up from the chilly morning air. Her borrowed hoodie did wonders to keep her warm, however, as Yang had run it through the dryer for her just before she got up. She cast her eyes over to said sister, who was busy scrubbing a few dishes they had left in the sink the night before. Catching her eye, Yang smiled.

"Sorry you couldn't have omelettes three days in a row, hun. We ran out of eggs yesterday."

"S'okay."

Yang sighed, her shoulders drooping dramatically.

"Oh, Ruby. You're gonna make me come over there, aren't you?"

Ruby slunk down into her chair a little more.

"No."

Another deep sigh came forward as Yang unclipped her brush and reattached her hand, strolling over to the table. Two very muscular and tanned arms wrapped themselves around her head, squeezing her with all the force in seemingly the world. Try as she may, Ruby couldn't escape any deeper into her hoodie, even if she kinda didn't want to. Yang's hugs were the best anyway. Relenting and sighing herself, she gave in and let the mechanical grip of her sister embrace her.

It was nice that Yang was so eager to cuddle her recently. Especially after...well, the hospital visit. Yang's hugs had gone from aggressive and sisterly 'I'm bigger and badder than you' to more a gentle and motherly 'everything's going to be just fine' in just a few days. Even just this very morning, she had awaken to find the tall blonde in her bed with her, making sure she was warm and comfortable. Well, maybe _on_ the bed would be more a fitting description. Yang had climbed onto the bed and draped her arm over her, covering _herself_ with the wool blanket from the living room couch. It had been a welcome surprise.

Following this and the warm sweater thing, Ruby definitely found herself feeling a little better than she had when she had arrived back at home a few days prior. The annoying voice in her head had gotten louder, however. That was something she didn't want to have to deal with. Not now, and not ever. Not that she could ever ask for help, of course.

Yang planted another of her semi-aggressive smooches on the top of her head before collecting her now-empty bowl of yucky cereal and skipping back to the kitchen, her bountiful blonde locks bouncing after her. Ruby watched her go in a distracted state, still not fully awake yet. Maybe a little fresh air would help. Her attention was grabbed by Yang dropping the bowl in the sink.

"Right! You ready to hit the town, Ru-ster?"

What a silly name. It made her smile just a _little._

"I guess so."

"Go put some pants on first. It's not lady-like to go out in your pjs."

That garnered a real smirk.

"Since when do you care about 'lady-like', Yang?"

"Since I have a little sister who needs a new wardrobe. Besides, I don't often get to go shopping with another girl."

Ruby stood up, brushing her lap off. She looked down at her current outfit. Yellow hoodie, white pyjama pants. She frowned. It didn't _seem_ like she needed a new wardrobe. This was good enough for her.

"What are you talking about, this is fine. I _like_ my jammies."

Yang smirked at her.

"Yeah sure, but they're too small."

Ruby looked down at her legs again.

"What? No they're not!"

Yang stopped milling around the kitchen, levelling a look over her way. Ruby unconsciously recoiled into her hoodie again.

"What?"

Yang let the smirk grow on her face, raising an eyebrow. She picked up two cantaloupes out of the fruit bowl on the counter, holding them in her hands.

"Ruby. _Honey._ I can see the curves of your ass. They're too small."

Yang held the fruits as one might grab another's butt. Ruby rolled her eyes in her sister's direction, turning and walking out of the kitchen in a huff, hearing Yang giggle at her as she walked away. What did _she_ know, anyway. The rose-covered pyjamas were fine. _Fine!_ Just because they were a little tight didn't mean they were too small and couldn't be worn anymore.

"And don't forget your socks!"

Ruby scoffed back over her shoulder, strutting down the narrow hallway back to her room. With a dramatic flick of her wrist, she shut the bedroom door behind her. Her back hit the door and she slid down it with a sigh, lamenting over nothing in particular. Aside from the interjection by her own thoughts, the morning had gone relatively well, which was a fair change from the previous few days. The previous morning had sucked. _Really_ sucked. She had woken up in a cold sweat after a hideous nightmare which she still remembered as clear as day. It had been about Kayaba Forest again.

She unconsciously touched her hands to her shirt, right above the wide and gaping scar. She flinched, wrenching her eyes shut and trying her hardest to forget about the dream. Her hand shook, fingers squeezing down on the fabric of her sweater.

"No."

She whispered to the empty room. Kayaba Forest wasn't going to get to her today. She was an adult, above the weakness of bad dreams. She stood, her legs a little wavering. She hated the weakness she felt anyways. She felt like a child. A child who couldn't even grow up enough to not be affected by goddamned nightmares. She had to brace herself against the wall. Why did it have to be so difficult? Why did she have to be plagues by two separate monsters? And why couldn't she overcome them?

With a huff, she crossed her room to her dresser, yanking open a drawer. Now was _not_ the time to be having an existential crisis. She had more important things to do. Like figure out what to wear for shopping. With her sister.

Normally, the tough blonde wouldn't be seen without her signature plaid jacket and jeans, complimented by deep green rubber boots she wore literally everywhere. Yang also would never shy away from showing just a _little_ skin, whether it be up high or around the midsection. Ruby grabbed a garment stuffed in a lower drawer, a gold-yellow tank top with a flaming heart emblazoned across the front. She turned it over a few times in her fingers. The hand-me-down shirt had once been Yang's pyjama shirt. She didn't quite understand why her sister needed such a... _revealing_ top for sleeping. She tossed it back into a drawer.

She grabbed another shirt, examining it. It was simpler, single colour button-up collared shirt, in a faded blue. She pulled off her hoodie, tossing it in the direction of her laundry hamper, missing by a good few feet. She looked over at the crumpled sweater with a sigh, grabbing yesterday's bra off the top of her dresser and sitting down to put it on. With her breasts now snuggly confined in the slightly-too-tight bra, she pulled the shirt on over her shoulders, fiddling with the cuffs at the end of the slightly-too-long sleeves. Her fingers toyed with the buttons up the front, struggling to get the two done up over her breasts. She frowned down at them. Maybe Yang was right. Maybe she _did_ need a new wardrobe. Everything she owned was either too big or slightly too small.

With such a womanly and muscular figure, none of her clothes actually were made for her anymore, being as she used to have a much thinner and, as much as she hated to say it, _juvenile_ frame. She shivered. Why did she have to have body issues _now?_ With an unenthusiastic grunt, she kicked off her pyjama bottoms and whipped them at her hamper with her foot. This time, they landed square in the plastic bin. She smirked as it did, grabbing a pair of black jeans that sat almost forgotten draped over the headboard. She pulled them on over her muscled legs, relieved for once that they went on without argument, as much of the rest of her clothes did. Buttoning up the pants once seated on her wide hips, she stood up from her bed and moved towards the door.

"Oh, right."

With a sigh, she grabbed a pair of socks out the top of her dresser, fighting them on as she left the room. Her footsteps were now muffled by the cotton, allowing her to glide silently back to the kitchen where her sister was patiently waiting and fiddling around with her Scroll.

"This better?"

She stood at the edge of the kitchen, her arms out, as if to show off her choice of outfits. Yang looked up from her phone, which was playing some video that sounded vaguely like a cooking tutorial. She gave Ruby a quick once-over from across the room, smiling cheerfully and shutting off her Scroll. Ruby gave a little turn on the spot to show off every angle.

"Much! You ready to go?"

Ruby nodded, scratching her ear idly.

"I think so. I got dressed for this, don't tell me you've changed plans and we're gonna stay home or something."

With a laugh, Yang pushed off from the counter and slung her mechanical arm over Ruby's shoulders, guiding her around in a small circle.

"Aw, c'mon now, baby sis! I wouldn't do that to you! Besides! We have some important stuff to get for the house. Seeing as there's now _two_ girls living here, we're gonna need double the girl supplies. You know?"

Ruby nodded. She knew. She didn't have the heart to tell Yang about her little problem just yet.

"Alright, alright, let go of me you big meanie!"

Yang let go with a begrudging groan and an affectionate ruffle of Ruby's fluffy brown mop of hair. They moved towards the front door of the tiny house, past the rows of baby pictures their dad insisted on hanging in the entryway. Grabbing her coat off the skinny rack next to the door and handing Yang her own, she pulled the deep red jacket on over her shoulders, enjoying the feeling of the thick fur collar on her neck. The coat had been a present from Blake, actually, as a parting gift when she moved to Atlas for work. It was the most expensive single piece of clothing she owned, retailing for something to the tune of fifteen _hundred_ lien. It was also the single _warmest_ piece of clothing she owned. Trust a cat faunus to pick the warmest clothing, she figured.

They pushed out into the crisp autumn air, Yang bouncing forward into the front yard. The yard itself was short, only as long as a few rows of sod surrounded by a short waist-high picket fence. Two of the more complete and running cars sat in the laneway, one being the huge, yacht-like Chevron Crusader wagon, and Yang's winter car, a silvery-grey Atlas Syncro hatchback. Ruby frowned at the little grey car as they approached it, watching her sister skip to it, keys in hand.

"Ugh, do we _have_ to take this car?"

Yang paused, key halfway in the lock.

"You gotta problem with my car, Ru?"

Ruby stuck her hands in her pockets, shrugging. There wasn't anything inherently _wrong_ with the Syncro, as it was a compact and effective road dominating machine with its complicated all-wheel-drive and tough suspension. She just didn't like _this_ particular example. At nearly thirty-six years old, the little rally car had become severely deteriorated and tired, like an old couch that refused to be thrown out.

"I dunno, it's just kinda crappy. Don't we own enough cars that we shouldn't have to take this?"

Yang pulled her door open, sliding in and unlatching the passenger door. Ruby opened it and dropped into the other seat. The interior was ripped and faded, and not very many of _anything_ still worked in the car. Not that her sister seemed to care, of course, shrugging herself and turning the small engine into life.

"Nah, this one's fine. Starts on the first crank, see? Besides, what else would we have taken?"

Yang wiggled the gear stick into reverse and dropped the parking brake, reversing rather quickly down the dusty driveway. Ruby grabbed onto the ceiling-mounted handle as Yang spun the wheel and pivoted the car around in a circle, pointing the nose of the car to the street.

"What about the Citizen?"

"Dad took it this morning to bring Zwei to the park, so no."

"The P-150?"

"No registration, no insurance, no licence plates, and probably lethal at highway speeds."

"Dad's other truck?"

Yang pulled the car onto the street.

"Look, let me give you the run-down. The Stallion has no engine, the P-150 is just too broken, the Lazer uses so much gas you might as well just set fire to it, and we certainly can't take the semi just for a jaunt into town."

Ruby pondered for a moment.

"What about the Crusader?"

Yang paused, halfway through putting on her sunglasses.

"This was parked behind it."

Right. Of course.

/.../

The forty minute trip into the small town of Patch was usually an arduous one, normally crammed into the back of their dad's car, religiously adhering to the posted speed limits. With Yang driving, however, that journey was cut in half as the little grey car whisked them into town. Ruby fidgeted with her seatbelt, watching the fence posts whip past her window at nearly a hundred and fifty kilometres per hour. The sign for _The Township of Patch, Population 9,000_ blinked by, barely giving her the time to read it.

"So we're hittin' up the drugstore first, anything you need special?"

Ruby jumped, not expecting the sudden shout over the wind and road noise. She glanced over at her sister in the driver's seat. Yang had her shades flicked down to the end of her nose and was giving her a questioning look, one hand on the wheel and the other leaned against the windowsill. Ruby blinked idly back at her for a moment, not quite sure what to answer. Yang rolled her eyes at this lack of response, making her furrow her brow.

"I'm not asking you some complex calculus question, Ru-ster. I just wanna know if you need me to get you anything from the drugstore."

Ruby paused, mouth hanging slightly open.

"I don't-"

"So are you a hidden protection, or a padded softness kinda girl?"

Ruby frowned. She didn't like where this conversation was going.

"What do you mean, Yang."

Her sister slid her shades back up, slowing the car as they neared the town.

"You know. Are you a cup and caress or invade and conquer sort of p-"

"Yang."

"Oh for god's sake, pads or tampons, Ru. I was _trying_ for the soft approach here."

Ruby breathed a deep sigh, her hand tightening down on the overhead grab handle. She didn't want to talk about this. At all. She could feel the scar across her stomach start to ache again. Her hand fell to the fabric of her sweater, just above the garish wound. Yang didn't take her sigh well, however.

"Ruby, it's just a question. Don't be such a child. You're twenty-three years old."

Her hand gripped tighter, causing the vinyl of the handle creak. Did she _really_ have the audacity to accuse her of being a child? She whipped her face over in her direction.

" _Excuse_ me? I am _not_ a child, Yang. I have a job, I pay taxes, and I contribute positively to society. So for you to call me a child, I can't even-"

"Ruby, just because you pay taxes does not make you an adult. And what do you even contribute to society? Music selection skills?"

Ruby glared at her sister, real anger and venom in her eyes. Her stomach turned, and she had to fight to not scream at the top of her lungs.

"I am a _soldier._ I fight for humanity. I have _years_ of battle training protecting citizens like _yourself_ from being overtaken and killed by the Grimm."

"And yet you can't even answer a simple question."

She snapped.

"That's because nothing works down there anymore."

There was a silence in the car. Neither woman made even the slightest peep. Yang seemed to have retracted into herself, completely stifled by the sudden outburst. Ruby couldn't stop her face from twitching, completely and utterly _livid_ with her sister for prying into her personal business. She wanted to yell. Wanted to punch _something._ How _dare_ Yang. How dare she!

The car slowed, drifting softly and quietly past the first row of shops that welcomed them into the small village. Ruby nearly had to pry her own hand off the upper handle, as it had clamped down with vice-like force. Her anger subsided quickly, however. She couldn't even _fake_ anger now. Her spat was short lived, as it always was, replaced _immediately_ by shame. The air in the cabin changed again. Not quite for the better, however. Yang could always sense when something was wrong, and had tensed up even further. Ruby was shaking. She didn't want this, either.

Neither one wanted to be the first to break the silence, Ruby from shame, and Yang from guilt. Ruby watched her sister from the corner of her eye. She watched each thought and word pass over her sister's mouth, only to be retracted and abandoned halfway through. Ruby's shaking lessened as she gripped down on the fabric of her sweater. The scar lay beneath.

The _scar._

Her heart jumped, as it always did upon even the slightest mention of _it_ or Kayaba Forest. A wave of heat washed through her, emanating from the horrid laceration that bisected her body. A mark that belayed a _colossal_ amount of internal damage. Much more than any single human or faunus could take. The mere fact she survived at all was nothing short of a medical miracle.

"Y...you remember...that one mission I went on?"

She waited for a response, but her sister stayed quiet for the moment. Ruby continued.

"You remember how I was in the hospital for a while?"

"I remember."

Neither _wanted_ to, of course. Yang had been at her bedside for _literally_ the whole three month spell that Ruby had taken in that frigid and tiny room. So much so that Yang had to spend time in the hospital herself to have her spine realigned, as three months with the heavy metal arm never once being removed had messed up her back something fierce.

"Well, remember how I got the... _scar?"_

As if her sister had forgotten. The question was more rhetorical than literal, of course. The one mission. The surprise attack. The _foot-and-a-half_ long claws. They had resulted in a massive amount of internal hemorrhaging, the loss of about two feet of small intestine, one of her kidneys, half her liver, and...

"I had to have a lot of my insides removed... and that included my-"

She couldn't finish her sentence. Her stomach hurt too much. Almost like a safety mechanism, stopping her from continuing.

"Well, you get it. So I don't really... well _need_ any of that stuff a-anymore."

Yang was silent once more as she took this seemingly new information in. Ruby shivered. The dark feeling permeated her stomach.

"I understand. I'm sorry."

Ruby shook her head, letting her hair bounce around.

"No, I'm sorry. I lashed out. It's not fair to you, you didn't know."

They pulled up outside their first stop. _Brenin's Drugstore._ Run by an older faunus woman who was a friend of the family, they were always welcomed in with their family and friends discount. Much of her childhood was spent buying candy and sweets at this very shop.

"I..."

Yang seemed like she had something to say, prompting Ruby to look over and wait patiently. The blonde woman paused, halfway into a word. She sniffled instead, pulling slowly up on the parking brake and shutting the car off. She reached for the door handle on her side, her hand stopping just short before it reached it.

"Okay. I'll be right back, baby sis."

A wary and tentative smile came to the woman's lips. Ruby unconsciously smiled back, watching her sister pop open the door and step out of the car. With the door closed lightly behind her to retain the silence, she was once again left alone as she watched Yang enter the storefront. The quiet air in the small car left her uneasy. She moved to follow.

Her hand found the door handle, and the lightweight aluminum panel opened slowly with a loud and sombre groan of the hinges. The cool autumn air flooded the tight cabin, making her shiver. She stepped out of the car, hoisting herself from the low-slung seat with a groan herself. It wasn't cold enough to fog up her breath, but it was very close. She pulled her jacket tighter around herself and moved around to the front of the car, leaning against the grill and propping her heel against one of the car's rally-style fog lamps.

She felt terrible. She didn't want to have yelled. And especially not at Yang. She loved Yang. Her sister was always there for her for _any_ problem she had. Or so she had always promised. And something inside her had stopped her, _again_ , from revealing something that ailed her. She trusted Yang to be a good sister, and more importantly a good person. So why was it that she couldn't bring herself to tell her about the total extent of her injuries.

She looked away from the storefront, observing instead the line of trees along the road. They had faded from their lively greens to a depressed and reserved brown. Some, however, had become a might brighter orange. Her face twitched, seeing the maple tree glowing like a painting in the centre of the adjoining park.

She sighed, looking away from the pretty trees again. She just wanted to not worry anyone. Maybe that was it. Maybe that was _all_ it was. Just a fear that someone she cared about might leave her because of her injury? Or even her less physical injuries?

 _Bzzz Bzzzz!_

Her self-loathing monologue was silenced by her Scroll ringing in her pocket. She frowned, sticking her hand into her pocket to retrieve it. She felt around for a second, confused as it wasn't actually in her pocket. Pulling her hand free and checking every pocket on the left side of her body, she finally found the annoying vibrating device stuck deeply into her sweater pocket. She pulled it out and checked the screen. One single four letter word stared back up at her, making her frown.

 _Work_

She sighed deeply, sliding her thumb across the screen and raising the phone to her ear.

"Hello?"

The gruff and excited voice of one of her coworkers came back at her.

" _Ruby! Darlin'!"_

She smiled a little, relaxing.

"Oh, hey Mister Wolfman. I thought you might be the boss."

" _Sweetheart, I told ya, call me Jack. And no, I ain't the boss-man."_

She chuckled, trying not to sound too excited that her boss wasn't calling her.

" _Now listen, darlin'. I_ am _callin' because of that, you know."_

"I know, I know. I'm sorry, Jack."

" _Bulsara's not too pleased about your absence, babygirl. He's been scramblin' to fill your slot in the schedule with somethin' as close to your show as he can, so he's got me 'n Flynt doin' a History of Rock thing. But we ain't you, doll. We need ya back."_

Ruby pulled the phone away from her face so he wouldn't hear her sigh. She was supposed to be back at work three whole days ago. She hadn't called, she hadn't e-mailed. She hadn't even texted them. She knew she was neglecting the station. But she couldn't bring herself to communicate with them, even as a courtesy 'I've run away'.

"I'm sorry, Jack."

" _Nah, don't be sorry, girlie. I'm sure I can keep ol' Freddie on the leash for now. I just wish you'd have called us, ya know?"_

The aging faunus on the phone sighed before pausing, his sombre disappointment evident in his breathing. She didn't _want_ to disappoint him. She felt terrible for leaving her job without even so much as a word.

" _Just tell me where ya gone, girl. Just so I know's you're alright."_

She sniffed, wiping her chilled nosed on her sleeve.

"I went home, Jack."

" _That's what I thought. That's what I told the boss."_

"I..."

" _Just tell me when you're comin' back, girl. I miss ya. The station ain't the same without ya."_

Another sigh escaped. Any more and she'd need to be re-inflated with a pump. The problem was she didn't know when she was going to go back to Atlas. There wasn't much for her there, save for a few memories of being cold, and two jobs that didn't really pay her all that much. The loneliness of the tiny bungalow was just as unwelcoming as the cold, she thought. Being in Patch was _so far_ better in every measurable way.

"I don't know, Jack. I can't come back just yet."

He paused, his heavy, doglike breathing just barely audible in her earpiece. It seemed to be taking a lot out of the old man just to fret over her like this. Her mouth twitched. She didn't like upsetting people, and this man, whom she looked up to at work, was now upset because of her.

" _Ahh. Well, I'll worry about ya until ya get back. I und'stand if you need time."_

A tiny smile came to her lips.

"Thank you, Wolfman Jack."

He chuckled on the other end of the line. At work, she never called him by his radio name. She didn't even used his real name either, which was Robert. The radio name had come from a childhood insult from his days at elementary school, being the only faunus in his whole neighbourhood. He had become the semi-father-figure for her in Atlas, despite her already having a father. Well, he was the father-figure of the radio station anyways.

" _Heyyy, no problem Rockin' Red."_

"You know that's not my handle, Jack."

" _Of course not, Radio Reaper."_

She let out a tiny laugh, a warm feeling blooming in her chest.

" _You hurry on back now, ya hear?"_

She smiled down at her feet.

"We'll see, Mister Wolfman. We'll see."

A long pause followed. She knew that he was worried, and she knew that the boss was upset with her for abandoning her job. She had put them all in a difficult position. But she also knew she couldn't leave the farm yet. She just wasn't ready.

" _Alright, you do what you gotta do, Ruby. The Wolfman is signin' off."_

"Goodbye, Jack."

The line went quiet. She pulled the phone away from her ear, looking back down at the blank screen. Another wave of shame hit her. As she was gone, so much more of Anfang would be helpless without her. And she had left them. She had tried to justify her leaving. It was for her.

So she could find herself.

But it was hard running away from real life. Hard running away from people and things that mattered as much or as little as things did in Anfang. But it wasn't right. Anfang and Atlas more specifically were not home to her, and they had never felt that way. Even Vale never felt like home to her, despite living with her sister during her stay at school. She slumped deeper against the car's low hood.

Something inside made her shiver again, despite not feeling cold. Would it be easier to go back to Atlas and pretend to live a normal life? No, of course not. Even if she had practice doing exactly this for the past five years. She kicked a few pebbles on the edge of the parking lot, bouncing them off the concrete curb. She hated that she had left. She hated that she was weak. She hated that she couldn't be a grownup for five minutes. She mostly hated herself.

The door at the storefront burst open by an enthusiastic and cheerful blonde. Yang came striding out, four plastic bags filled to capacity in her arms and one big toothy grin on her face. Ruby looked up from her feet, and seeing her sister come forward with the bags in her arms, she pushed herself off the hood and swung herself around to the door, pulling it open and grabbing two of the bags from her sister and sliding them in behind the seats. She climbed into the car, her sister moving around to the other side and get in herself, dropping her two bags into the back seat. Just as Ruby moved to put on her seatbelt, Yang stopped her with a hand on her wrist.

"Hey, wait up a sec."

She waited up a sec.

"Here, I got you something."

She watched Yang reach into one of the pockets in her jacket and pull out a tiny white envelope. She flipped it over a few times, before handing it over. Ruby took it, examining the small paper square with a tiny frown. It seemed like an odd gesture. Nevertheless, she flipped open the top with her thumb, pulling the slip of plastic out of the envelope. She turned it over, examining the little card.

 _Unlimited Hug Card:_

 _Submit to any one-armed sister_

 _for unlimited supply of cuddles_

 _Can be turned in at anytime, anyplace, anywhere._

 _Even if I'm busy._

 _Expiry: Never_

Ruby looked over the card a few more times, a timid smile coming to her face. She could feel something shift inside her. Her heart leaped into her throat as she read it over again.

"For... for me?"

She nodded, a half-smile forming on her lips.

"It was gonna be your Dustmas present, but you need it now."

The little embossed plastic card was very thick. It felt heavy-duty.

"H-how did you get this?"

"I had it printed special here. It's like a feed store access card, just without the mag strip."

She couldn't believe her eyes, ears, or hands. She felt like crying. Once again, Yang had shown herself to be literally the nicest person on the planet. The most considerate, the most loving, the most special. Her expression broke, and a few tears were let loose. Her hands shook, fingers gripping down on the little card. She looked over at Yang.

"C-can I use it now?"

Yang chuckled.

"What does the card say?"

Ruby leaned over the thin centre console and _collapsed_ onto her sister, who immediately collected her in her muscular arms. She let out a sob, allowing the torrent of shameful sadness to escape onto the front of Yang's jacket.

"I'm sorry..."

A cool mechanical hand worked its way into her hair, carefully massaging her scalp. She threw her arm around the woman's midsection, allowing herself to me overcome by the muscular and all-consuming comfort of Yang's hug. It felt right to let it out. So she did.

"Shhh, honey. It's okay."

Was it? She still didn't know. The hug was helping, however.

"I'll make us mac 'n cheese buns for dinner, okay?"

Ruby nodded fervorously, and Yang let her sit up again. She let the woman reach over and wipe a few errant tears from her face with her good hand, cleaning the salty streaks from her cheeks. Ruby sniffled a few times, her nose quite badly plugged.

"Gods, I'm a mess."

Yang laughed, rubbing her cheeks.

"Nah, you're just human."

She didn't _like_ being human, though. It sucked. But Yang seemed to be willing to help her deal with it.

And she was okay with that.

She was at least gonna _try._

/.../

"Here, hold this."

Three boxes of noodles were thrust into her hands, and she nearly dropped them immediately. Yang spun back around and started rooting through the large display of cheeses, checking each one for an expiry date.

"You want mozza or cheddar or... like, something Mistralian?"

"What do they have?"

"I can't even pronounce this one. It smells like feet!"

Ruby grimaced, flinching away as Yang tried to shove it up her nose.

"We gotta get this one! Dad'll love it!"

They both snickered. Taiyang was known for his appreciation of foreign cheeses. Even if he didn't, they could just feed it to Zwei. Even if they had not been allowed to feed the scruffy little mutt since they were little, as they had completely willingly fed him _actual dust crystals._ Zwei had taken it well, however. So a little stinky cheese wouldn't hurt.

"Alright, add it to the pile. What's next?"

Yang dropped the collection of cheeses into her arms, checking the list she had scrawled in pen on a scrap of cardboard from a soda can box.

"Let's see... cheese, noodles, milk, we have butter at home, aaaand... we need ice cream still. To the freezers!"

Yang's enthusiasm was a welcome change from her own internal misery. She watched the cheery blonde bounce away towards the far wing of the store, leaving her in the dairy department with an armful of noodles and cheese and a basket of vegetables and milk. She dropped the stuff in her arms into the basket with a chuckle. It felt weird watching Yang act so childish, as the tall and independant woman seemed to her to be more a mother than a sister. Being a twelve-hour flight away from your actual parent at school, she had just re-associated Yang into a. mother-like figure. She always thought Yang would make a great mom anyways. With the tiniest of skips in her step, she followed after, joining her sister in the frozen foods aisle.

"Ice cream sandies?"

Well obviously. She nodded vigorously, and Yang pulled open the glass door, extracting the box of individually wrapped ice cream squares. They both paused, looking over the nondescript yellow box. It suddenly seemed less appealing. Yang frowned, turning the box over in her hands.

"You know, I remembered this being more theatrical. Better box art 'n stuff."

Ruby nodded.

"Yeah, me too. Do they have the Drumstack brand ones?"

Yang put the sandwiches back, grabbing the much more colourful box of wrapped cones.

"Nuts or no nuts? Nah, you're a no-nuts girl."

Ruby choked on some air, fumbling over every word she tried to use in response. Yang could very probably _feel_ the glare she was getting at the moment. She decided instead to punch her sister in the arm, her face fully red. Yang laughed, taking the hit on the painted steel forearm brace of her right arm. Ruby _fumed,_ trying her hardest to not yell. Or laugh. A smile broke across her face, and she yanked the box of ice cream from her sister.

"Jerk."

Yang just chuckled, checking the last item off the list.

"There we go. That's everything, then! Can't have those melt on us."

Ruby grumbled, her mouth trying to twist itself into a giggle. No-nuts girl. Jeez, what a brute. Yang once again skipped away, this time towards the cashes at the front of the store. She rolled her eyes, yet followed along.

The groceries weren't as heavy as she imagined them being, helped in no small part by her overwhelming strength, so she wasn't expecting the loud _thump_ as the basket hit the rubber conveyor, making her, her sister, _and_ the little cashier girl jump. After a beat, Ruby unloaded the basket of its contents, tucking it under the conveyor with a small stack of others. The gentle beeping of the machine was pleasant to her ears. It reminded her of when she used to work behind this _very_ counter some ten years prior. It had been an adequate first job, even if she had _kinda_ been too young to work there. The boss hadn't seemed to mind. He was just happy she bothered to not quit after the first week.

" _Yang Xaio Long? Well I'll be damned!"_

They both turned to the source of the voice. A large man, no a faunus at second glance. He had large, boar-like tusks protruding through his lips, she noticed after a moment. His smile was evident through his prominent lower jaw, however, and his eyes had a certain softness to them as well.

"Hey, Cap!"

Yang greeted the man with an enthusiastic grin, seeming to bounce on her toes as she did. Ruby watched the strange happening from the corner of her eye as she swiped her credit card and payed for the groceries. The large man's outfit was of particular interest to her as well as his almost-familiar face. Thick navy pants, heavy rubber boots, and a navy button-up covering his muscled torso.

"It's good to see you, Kid. You keepin' out of trouble?"

Ruby grabbed the two bags of groceries in one hand, the thin plastic struggling to hold the weight. Yang laughed off the man's question, not even phased by his minute tusk-related slur of his words. Ruby scrunched her brow. Maybe her sister was friends with this 'Cap'.

"You know me, tillin' soil and waiting for the alarm to ring. I don't have any trouble to get into!"

He laughed heartily, like a grandfather would laugh at their grandchild's first real joke.

"Of course, of course! It's better that way I s'pose. Now, who's the young thing followin' you around?"

"This?"

Yang slung her arm over her shoulder, almost making her drop the groceries.

"This is my baby sister, Ruby! Best Huntress this world has ever seen!"

Ruby flushed a little, content with such an overestimation of her. Yang was good for that.

"Is this her, then? You do talk about the poor girl non-stop."

"She does?"

"I do! I'm so proud of you!"

Another warm feeling hit her face like being hit with a textbook.

"Oh, sorry, I forgot my manners. Ruby, this is Captain Cerulian, head of the Patch Regional Fire Department. Cap, this is my half-sister, Ruby Rose."

He extended a hand, and she shook it, trying her best firm handshake. The man's huge hands easily dwarfed hers, but by the way his hand strained, she could tell he was impressed with her grip strength.

"Miss Rose. It's a pleasure."

"The pleasure is mine, sir. Yang, you didn't tell me you're a firefighter."

The blond woman chuckled to herself.

"I'm not really. Just a volunteer."

"Best damn volunteer I've ever had. Always the first to arrive, always the first in uniform, and always first to run in. A true hero, this one."

"Oh, stop, you. I ain't nuthin' special. I'm just a girl who likes running into burning buildings. Might even say it gets me... _all fired up."_

Ruby resisted the overwhelming urge to smack her sister.

"You...you run into burning buildings?"

"Yep! That's my job! Helps when your body is actually fire-resistant, you know. Figured it was the most practical way to apply my Huntress training. I get to be all cool and tough, and save lives at the same time! Its like being a Huntsman, except you never have to worry about being carried off by a giant murder-bird."

Ruby mulled this over. Firefighting did seem like it would suit her sister, having a fire-based semblance and all that. Plus, she probably had a bunch of cool fire-fighting arm extensions as well. The Captain laughed at the clever description, clapping one of his hands onto Yang's shoulder, not even making her flinch.

She looked at her sister in awe.

She couldn't quite believe it that her sister had found a simple way to be herself again. She had always liked helping people. Being a firefight was only the most people-helping profession of all time. What was it she had said?

 _I'll always be there to help you._

Of course! This revelation made the knot in her stomach unclench. Yang's infallible drive to be such a beautiful human being was reminding her that some people might actually still be good. And Yang was the best of them. She _ran into freaking burning buildings_ for people she didn't even know. Strangers! And Ruby was her _actual sister._ She was the most important person, more important than even the strangers she rescued.

"Yeah, but I hear even those murder-birds are no match for someone as strong as your sister, based on the stories you tell, Yang. Something about punching a Goliath in half you said?"

Being a strong Huntress didn't matter. Yang wasn't a huntress at all, yet she was still the strongest and _bravest_ person Ruby knew. And now she had found out Yang was a firefighter, it had been made even better. Yang had always been a fighter. She just never fought for herself.

The idle conversation was downed out by the sounds in her head.

She _wanted_ Yang to fight for her. She _wanted_ someone to help her. And she knew Yang always would. He was damn right, Yang _was_ a hero. She was her _personal_ hero. Nearly all of her apprehension was washed away as she watched the confident woman smile and laugh along with her Captain. Today, none of her past grievances had reared their ugly heads.

She smiled, glad that for once the little voice in her head was silent.

She needed Yang.

Yang could help her.

Yang was her hero.

She thumbed the little plastic card she had been given earlier in her pocket. Today was a good day. She had the greatest woman, the single greatest _person_ on the planet offering to help her. And she was going to get help. It felt so _good_ to be offered help by someone who loved her. Who she loved back.

.

.

.

.

 _But what about Weiss?_


	27. Chapter 27: Destiny

Chapter 64

It was very difficult to not freak out at this moment.

"I will hurt you if you don't pay attention, asshole. I'm gonna call out what level the red circle is in, and you will shoot the _other two_ arrows. Do you or do you not understand?"

There was a brief pause through her headset, giving her a moment to reach over and take another swig from her whisky bottle. The drink burned down her throat, but she kept it down. Her hands were shaking, and she had already cracked her controller from how tight she was gripping it. This one was going to very soon end up on the scrap heap with the other three.

" _Yeah, we got it, geez."_

"Don't be short with me, you made us wipe six times now. The other guys have this down, right?"

" _Jawohl."_

"Valean, guys, please. The young guys don't live here."

" _Sorry. Yes, ve are ready"_

It was refreshing for once to be on the same team as her online gaming nemesis, _Pu$$ySlayr69,_ as he was very adept at doing the weekly raids and team-based games. He was a dick in the PvP arena, but considerably better behaved in this game mode. The only issue she had with him was the exceedingly thick Atlesian accent that meant he could barely be understood _except_ in her native language. She took another drink.

"Okay, focus _puh-lease._ We've been at this section for three hours, guys. Let's go, everyone jump up."

She watched her sector mate jump onto his platform in front of her, lighting it up and making it descend into the floor. The deep clanging of bells and the sound of the final boss's voice over the loudspeakers signified the beginning of their latest mistake. She smacked the loadout button, cycling to her secondary weapon, a simple yet effective Auto-Rifle. She charged forward towards the enemy spawner, tossing an arc grenade at the opening. The moment the first wave came out, they were electrified into oblivion.

" _Behind you."_

She spun around, grabbing the trigger with a slurred grip. The three enemies popped out from the next closes spawner. They lasted a grand total of eight seconds before being shredded to bits by the fast-firing rifle. She reloaded, switching back to her primary rifle and checking it was loaded. There was a brief pause in the action, as the game waited for the other four members of their crew finished off their own spawning enemies.

" _Runners, ready."_

"I'm good."

The bells tolled again, and she prepped her rifle again. The enemy spawner to the left of her pedestal opened up, revealing a shielded elite Centurion. She and the noob turned their muzzles on the enemy, quickly reducing the shield to nothing and dropping the imposing enemy's health bar to a quarter. She smiled a giddy grin, pulling the trigger again, prepared to reduce the mini-boss to a pile of loot.

 _No Secondary Ammo_

What?! In her anger to rip her co-gamers a superlative new one, she had forgotten to collect any additional ammunution that had littered the ground _before_ the game arena reset. And now she was staring down the barrel of a rhinoceros-sized bad guy.

"NO!"

She panicked, and grabbed the right upper bumper, slamming her fist into the Centurion's broad chest. It made a sizable dent in the remaining health. The Centurion roared at her. It wasn't dead.

"Oh... _verdammte scheiße_..."

It swung the barrel of its gun into her body, flinging her back towards the centre of the room, and reduced her health bar to as-near-as-made-no-difference a _sliver._ A papercut would kill her at this point.

"Cup is still up! Cup is still up!"

Through the haze of her vision, she managed to switch back to her primary, firing blindly towards where she had come from. She was injured. If she didn't make it back, they'd need to wipe. _Again._

" _Assistance to Chalice, Schnell, Schnell!"_

Through some magic of luck and aligned planets, one of her stray bullets hit the Centurion square in the face from the place she had landed, and his body exploded into a pile of brightly lit ammo boxes. She sighed, sprinting back over to her quarter and taking another drink of the potent whisky at the same time.

" _Whew,_ Okay, I'm good. Picking up my orb. You good, Slayr?"

" _Alle ist gut. Vhat happened to 'Valean only', WeissRabbit?"_

"Shut up. Just get in position."

" _Okay."_

She ran over to her platform, mashing her thumb into the action button and picking up the glowing white orb that had materialized in her area of the map. The screen flashed white, and she was transported into the outer ring of the arena, glowing ball of energy in her hand. The orange movement barrier was still in place. She took another drink of her whisky. There wasn't much left in the bottle anymore. It was an impatient wait for her clan-mate to kill the enemy that spawned the moment she was transported into the stupid platforming section.

"Hurry up, guys, I'm dyin' here."

" _ONE SECOND, THERE'S STILL ADS!"_

She huffed into her mic.

"There wouldn't be if you were good at this game."

" _Screw you! There! He's dead!"_

The orange barrier dropped, allowing her passage through the outer ring of the arena. She mashed forward on the left stick, sprinting towards the first of the platforming obstacles. The huge upright wall had nine holes in it, in the shape of a square, and was blocked by another orange barrier. The middle row was illuminated, and a bright white ball of light was suspended in the centre hole. She made the first jump.

"Cup middle!"

She watched the bullets ring out against the targets just outside the outer ring. A buzzer rang to indicate they had struck true, and the barrier dropped, allowing her to sail through the middle hole and collect her ball of light. The others called out for their side, but she managed to ignore them so they wouldn't distract her.

"Good work, good work! Keep it going!"

The act of sprinting and drinking would be difficult for anyone else, but she had had enough practice from the previous six hours of the raid that she managed to pull it off without losing any momentum. The bottle felt a lot lighter now, and with a quick check, she realized it was nearing completion. She'd have to call one of the butlers to bring her a new one. The next obstacle came into view.

"Sun top, sun top!"

 _Sun would certainly top, now wouldn't he?_

She choked on her drink, coughing loudly. She stopped sprinting for a moment to bang her fist against her chest.

" _Vhat is problem, WeissRabbit?"_

"Sorry, choked on my drink, Slayr. I'm good."

She kept sprinting forward, jumping through the top right hoop, collecting another mote of light. She was glad that the first part of this platforming section didn't have a floor that dropped out for no reason. She coughed again, her throat burning from having strong alcohol sent down the wrong hole.

"Dogs middle, Dogs _mih-cough-hiddle."_

She could hear the battle that was raging back in the centre of the arena. The four members of her team that remained inside were, unfortunately for her and Slayr, not exactly experienced. They seemed _okay_ at killing the spawning enemies, managing to not die and-

 ** _GambitHero_** _died._

" _You son of a bitch, you let me die!"_

Weiss panicked. Gambit was supposed to be helped at the next obstacle by...her noob partner.

" _I got you, I got you, I'm right here!"_

Oh good, he was close by. At least they had their revive tokens still. She checked the next obstacle.

"Okay, guys, Axes bottom, axes-"

 ** _Get_Rekt_Son_** _died._

" _Oh shit!"_

"Are you fucking kidding me?!"

Her body hit the barrier, blocked from passing through the wall. She was trapped. There was no way Slayr's gunners would be able to make it back over to revive both of them in time for her to finish running the outer ring. After that, two of their better players would be without the ability to revive anyone. They were screwed. Completely and utterly screwed.

"That's it! I'm dead!"

The ball of light in her hands was getting brighter. The game music was getting louder. Without the gunners, they couldn't unlock the barrier, and she was trapped, waiting for the slow release of death. They had betrayed her. Her eyes flared up. She gripped down on her controller.

 _The royal psions arrive..._

Now they were _all_ dead. With no one to kill the psion on their side, it was only a matter of seconds.

" _Scheiße."_

The screen flashed white.

 ** _Pu$$ySlayr69_** _died._

 ** _Paul_The_Brodster_** _died._

 ** _Faker_Syndrome_** _died._

 ** _WeissRabbit_** _died._

 _You have failed to impress..._

The skull symbol flashed on the screen, telling her that her light had faded away. Again.

"FUCKIN' SHIT!"

She gripped down on her controller and pulled her arms away from each other, ripping the blue plastic in _half._ She stood, her vision clouded by a sea of red. Small chunks of the controller's green circuit board fell out, clattering to the floor. Her TV flashed back to the cyan X-Station home screen.

 _Please reconnect controller._

She yelled something nondescript, throwing the left half of her broken controller against the far wall, where it shattered into even more pieces, littering the ground. Her chest heaved, rising and falling with each angry breath. They had betrayed her. They had promised that they could beat the raid today. That they _knew_ what they were doing. They had _lied_ to her. Well, Slayr hadn't. He was the most competent of them. Even if she hated him for other reasons, she respected his skill and patience for the noob and the other three.

His dedication deserved some kind of reward.

She looked down at herself. The loose pyjama pants were less-than appealing, as were the black men's size socks. The unbuttoned dress shirt, however. She smirked. _Anybody_ would appreciate the bare cleavage and tummy she had been showing off. She reached for the bottle of whisky, feeling the slight chill of the room brush over her breasts as the shirt opened up. She sent back the very last few drops of the painful alcohol, tossing the empty bottle towards the garbage bin on on the other side of the room. It missed by a good _eight feet,_ thunking into the wall and falling to the floor. She stumbled, the booze affecting her legs like she had been kicked.

"Fuckin'...useless partners. Waste of...time. More...drink..."

She stumbled out of her games room, back into the hallway. Her socked feet slipped around on the floor, like she was on ice. She _still_ didn't know how to skate. Her legs, compromised by the alcohol, threatened to buckle and deposit her on the ground in spectacular fashion. _Last_ time she was on a slippery surface like this, she was drunk. Why should she had a problem this time?

"Want...whisky..."

The hallway felt like it was twisting and bucking beneath her feet, threatening to knock her down. She had to place one wary hand against the wall just to stay upright. She was starting to hate the slippery floor and her stupid slippery socks. Slowly, yet most assuredly, she found herself at the top of the long winding staircase. She was going to fall down it if she tried to walk, given the current state of her legs.

Remembering her 'Working At Heights' training manual and the few helpful tips on the very first page, she dropped down to one knee. The vast majority of her dizzyness went away almost immediately, and the room slowed it's horrible spin. It didn't stop, however, a fact that became sickeningly clear when she stood up. She grabbed the railing with her right hand, tightening down so she wouldn't slip on the well-polished marble. It also didn't help that she was used to having a much...heavier head of hair. All that weight used to be like a counter-balance. Drunk-stairs-ing was much more difficult now that she no longer had three extra feet of hair.

It took her a few minutes, but she managed to get down the stairs without falling, although she _did_ stumble a few times. The feeling of the cold floor at the bottom of the staircase sent a wave of relief through her, signifying that she wasn't in danger of falling again. She let go of the railing, and stepped towards the kitchen wing.

...and then immediately found herself on the floor again. Her socked feet had found no traction on the even slipperier surface, and had deposited her face-first back on the ground. She rolled over onto her back with a pained cry and brought a hand to her face. Her nose hurt like _hell._

"Snowflake, are you alright?!"

She let out a sigh.

"M'alright, Klein. Don't worry 'bout me."

He worried. In an instant, he had dashed from whatever room he had spawned from directly to her side, careful to bring her to a sitting position.

"My dear, your nose is bleeding. Are you sure you're alright? I can bring you to the infirma-"

"No, Klein, I'm fine!"

She realized she had shouted much too late, covering her mouth and looking ashamed. She appreciated the gesture, however.

"Sorry. Thank you, but I'll be fine."

Klein wasn't convinced. He worried to much, in her opinion. He fussed, scrunching up his moustache and dabbing the blood from her nose with his pristine white handkerchief, staining it an ugly red.

"If you say so, my dear. Is there anything I can get you to make you feel better?"

 _A pair of shoes, maybe?_

Weiss shrugged, letting her arms drop and her shirt fall open again.

"More whisky?"

His eyes averted instantly as he pulled her to her feet.

"Snowflake, the _last_ thing you need at the moment is more alcohol. You _need_ some strong coffee, a proper haircut, and... possibly a new shirt, what in gods' name happened to all the buttons on your shirt?!"

She looked down, her legs wobbling a little. He was trying to do up the buttons on the front of her shirt, only to find that there were none. She giggled to herself.

"Oh yeah. It was hot in the games room, so I pulled it open."

"Weiss, this shirt was fine Mistralian silk, you've torn the seams. I'm getting you a new one. You stay here. Your inebriation will be your downfall. Quite literally, my dear."

He turned, and strutted away up the stairs. She sighed into herself as he left her. He would get lost in her closed, she hoped. A closet so expansive and dense that she imagined he'd be missing for weeks finding a suitable replacement shirt. She stumbled around in a small circle, discontent with the way gravity was affecting her legs. The air was quiet again in the house. Her eyelids felt heavy. She stepped forward, towards the kitchen wing again.

A vibrant and raucous noise erupted from the other end of the house. It sounded like the gods had descended from atop their mountain to rain hellfire down upon the land. She turned slightly towards the commotion. Each wave of noise surged through her body like a hammer, vibrations reverberating through the floor. Just the feeling of the noise made her giddy. She smiled. What monstrous beast had been unleashed, she wondered.

The noise was _luscious._ She couldn't describe its thumping attitude, and the heavy-hitting resonance it sent through the whole house. She enjoyed it for a few more moments before the noise silenced itself, returning the building to a quiet for a moment. Her body hummed from the noise. It was great. A door opened down the hall, revealing the most likely cause of the noise.

Her brother strode out, the keys to his truck spun around his finger.

She frowned at his approach. In her drunken state, she had forgot what time of day it was. Whitley's arrival signified two things; number one, it was five-thirty in the evening, and two; she needed to get the kitchen staff to start making dinner. Whatever that was going to be. She didn't quite know why, but she also felt a little upset at his arrival.

"Oh, it's you. Your stupid car can really wake the dead, you know."

Whitley paused, halfway through taking his jacket off, giving her a quick once over. Too quick to notice anything amiss, but thorough enough to be judgmental.

"Hello, sister. Drunk again, I see?"

She scoffed at him as he strode past, towards the hidden walk-in closet that lay at the base of the grand staircase.

"Pfft, _again_? 'Again' implies I stopped at some point."

She watched his shoulders visibly droop in shame as he hung his thick navy blue coat up in the closet, revealing his blue and white dress-shirt-slash-sweater-vest work attire. He turned, a pained expression on his face.

"Allow me to rephrase. _Still_ drunk, I see?"

She chuckled, slurring her response.

"S'more like it, yeah. What're you gonna do 'bout it?"

"I suppose there is nothing I can do at present, sister, however I- woah-"

He stopped mid-word, shutting his eyes and turning away, holding one hand up as a shield to his face. His lips pursed and his brow furrowed. It looked like he was fighting for words in his head.

"What?"

The pause remained, and his expression grew tighter.

"I-"

She stumbled backwards a few inches, her shoulders loose. What was he going to say, she wondered.

"Do up your shirt."

She giggled, looking down. The torn garment had fallen open again, freeing her assets to the cool house air. The torn strings that once held the shirt's expensive ivory buttons were frayed outward, like little bits of wire.

"You're not my mom, you can't make me!"

She laughed at her own joke. Whitley, turned even further away, clearly not impressed even in the slightest.

"Do up your shirt. _Please."_

She shrugged.

"I can't. I broke all the buttons off."

His eyes opened for a second, filled with a momentary anger, only to be shut again as he turned his back fully to her. The black briefcase he carried thumped to the floor, along with his keys and his scarf. His arms came up as he pulled the sweater-vest off, separating it from his dress shirt. She watched this odd display, confused. With a look over his shoulder, he spoke again, less angry this time.

"Arms up!"

Unknowingly, she raised her arms up over her head. In one fluid movement, he spun around and pulled the light-blue argyle vest down over her torso. She blinked a few times, her arms still raised. With a glance downward, she could see that the swest had successfully covered her up. Without giving her a second to recover, he reached forward and pulled the collar of her ripped shirt up through the high neck of the vest, neatly adjusting it so it looked right. He smiled at his work.

"There. Now you don't look like a... well, you look normal. Even if argyle doesn't match with those patterned pyjama bottoms. My, I take it back, your outfit needs an exorcism. Wow."

She rubbed her bad eye on her sleeve, shrugging.

"Don't be rude, Shitley."

He rolled his eyes at her.

"Come with me."

He took her arm, and with a fair bit of force, she found herself being dragged towards the kitchen. He had neglected his scarf and briefcase in the lobby. It was difficult to stay standing while being pulled with such force. Whitley's longer legs also made his strides considerably longer than her own, which caused even more stumbling still. The huge door to the kitchen loomed into view at the end of the hallway.

"W-wait! Slowdo-"

With a thud, he burst through the door and into the huge kitchen, the heavy wood door flying into the doorstop with a loud bang, nearly making her jump out of her skin. In the same motion, he pulled out a bar stool next to the closest long table and pirouetted her onto it. Her butt hit the padded seat with a creak of vinyl. With an exuberant twirl of his own, he moved himself to the tall, polished steel coffee maker that sat against the near wall. It hissed to life with the flick of a switch.

"That's not alcohol."

He shook his head, carefully scooping out some coffee beans in an equally polished measuring cup.

"No, it is not."

/.../

Cup number six tasted just as terrible as the first five. She _hated_ taking her coffee black. It tasted like sin and suffering. Black coffee was the tequila of caffeinated beverages. There was no good part of it, it hurt going in, it hurt going down, and it hurt afterwards. It was just pain. He could have at least let her put a bit of milk in it. Or even some cream liqueur! Whitley swirled his own cup of coffee, sipping gently. It was still only his first.

"Feel less drunk yet?"

"Fuck you."

"I'll take that as a 'mostly'."

He placed his cup gently down on the long prep table, leaning against it and watching her suffer. In truth, she did feel sobered up quite a bit. She sighed, placing her own up down on the table. With a subtle brush of his hair, he leaned over and pulled the mostly empty cup away, sliding both out of reach down the table. She felt a _little_ relieved to not have to drink anymore of the devil's sauce.

"Feel better?"

She shrugged.

"I guess. My head hurts."

"Mmm. My apologies. It was either this, or we stage an intervention. And Winter told me she a little 'indisposed' at the moment, so we couldn't do that. She's a little upset that she's having to postpone her wedding, as you might imagine."

Weiss sighed into the table, shutting her eyes.

"I hate myself."

"I can see that. You haven't exactly treated yourself with any sort of respect recently. Especially your hair."

She shrunk into her shoulders, levelling Whitley a sour look.

"S'wrong with my hair?"

"Looks like you cut it with a knife. Besides, the long hair suited you much more. This short hair business doesn't suit you. That's just what I think, anyways."

She looked down at her left palm, glazing over the fine white scars from where the shard of glass had lacerated her hand. He wasn't fully wrong. She turned her face away, still frowning.

"I didn't like it. Besides, lots of girls have short hair."

Whitley sighed, tapping his fingers gently against his other arm.

"No, you're right. But-"

"Didn't you date a girl in college who had short hair. Sam or something?"

He nodded.

"I did, yes. Until father told me I couldn't be cause she looked like lesbian. And she had a pixie cut, not this little fluff number you've done to yourself. The short hair suited her head, unlike you."

She stuck her tongue out.

"...That being said, if you'd let me, with twenty minutes, a razor, and some gel, I could fix that mop and make it exceptionally professional and effortlessly stylish."

"You're not touching me with a razor, Shitley."

"So rude."

She blew a half-hearted raspberry at him.

"Okay, if not that, then what _can_ I do for you?"

She sat up, flicking her bangs out of her face. What _could_ he do for her? He seemed willing enough to help her. Even if he had forced her to accept it. It was pleasant, she guessed, to have someone who cared. By force. Her problem at the moment was that she didn't know what she wanted from _anyone,_ let alone her brother. What she thought she needed was more alcohol and more video games. In her heart, however, she wanted _her_ back. That was something she knew couldn't be done. An idea came to her.

"Whit, you build cars, right?"

He paused, not expecting this line of questioning.

"I-"

"Like, for your job, right?"

His face flashed annoyance, not appreciating being interrupted so many times.

"No, actually. I'm a hybrid systems engineer. I build _prototype_ cars for a living."

She puzzled for a second.

"But... your truck? That's not very hybrid. That's the opposite of a hybrid."

He chuckled, leaning back on his stool.

"No, you're absolutely right. That I built because it's my hobby, not 'cause it's my job. Why do you ask, anyways?"

The words stopped before they could leave her mouth. She paused, holding her breath and looking away. What if he said no? It was a stupid request. She needn't say it, or worry him about it. He leaned over on his elbows, a curious expression on his face.

"Could you build _me_ a car?"

His eyebrows shot upwards. He seemed intruiged.

"You want me to _what?"_

She shook her head, burying her palms into her face.

"Nah, forget it. It's stupid-"

She was interrupted by a hand on her shoulder. Whitley scooted his stool closer. She met his gaze. It looked genuine.

"No, Weiss, it's not stupid. I'll do it. If it makes you feel less self-hating, I'm willing to help you."

She sniffed.

"You are?"

"Of course! You want me to build you a car? I can do that. I'm your brother, I'm here to help you, not be a useless house guest. I'm sure Winter would do the same if you asked her. Although, I think if you asked her for a car, she'd come to me and make me do it for her. Anyway, it doesn't matter. We're here for you, you know."

A tiny laugh came to her throat.

"You'd do that... for me?"

He leaned back on his stool, smiling. He almost seemed excited to get started.

"Of course! So, what do you want, like a Klasse-5 with a motor swap, or something a little more classic?"

She hesitated. The more she tried for this, the more wrong it felt.

"Blaze-Charger. Uh, first generation."

"VHI, eh? Hmm, doesn't seem your usual style of supercars, but I'll bite."

He pulled a notepad out of his pocket, flipping it open and clicking his pen. He spun it in his fingers a few times before scribbling something into his book.

"Describe your dream truck."

She pondered. It wasn't difficult to picture the truck in her head. She spent _so_ much time in that passenger seat. Well, passenger side of the bench.

"Burgundy-red two-tone. Chrome grille. Automatic. Four-fifty big-block-"

It was her turn to be interrupted.

"The Blaze-Charger was never sold with the four-fifty. It only came with the small six or the three-eighty eight cylinder."

She frowned.

"But... it had... forget it, can you put one in?"

He nodded.

"There's plenty of room, sure. I'll have to put in the heavy-duty axles from the pickup, but it's doable. Now, carbs or fuel injection?"

"Carbureted."

"Single or double?"

"Triple."

He stopped scribbling for a second, flicking one of his errant and product-filled strands of hair out of his face.

"That makes it easier, I can just grab a Six-Pack motor from a full-size. Keep going."

She scratched at an itch that had started in behind her ear. The shameful feeling in her gut sucked. It was like ordering a pizza while being fully aware that the person across from you was a vegan, lactose intolerant, _and_ a celiac. She felt like she was offending everybody.

"Uh... factory brush guard? Winch?"

With every open of her mouth she felt worse. It wasn't helping like she thought it would. She needed to strengthen her resolve.

"Sure, no problem. They made the truck for thirty-seven years, I'm sure I can... find...one... wait, hang on."

Uh oh. He had stopped writing. Her breath froze in her throat. He knew, he had to at this point. She was describing a one of a kind vehicle. One that had made an appearance in their garage at _least_ thrice weekly. He let out a sigh, placing his pen and pad down gently on the table.

"I know what you're doing, Weiss."

She wanted to cry.

"I understand you're in pain, but you can't do this to yourself. You're going to make it worse."

She had to unclench her hand, as her nails had started digging into her palm. It stung.

"I know."

"Look, there are ways to deal with loss, most of which don't involve-"

"Please? Can you just... indulge me?"

He sighed, looking down. With a shake of his well-quaffed hair, he picked up his book again, resuming his note-taking. His baby blue eyes, mirroring her own, held a new sadness in them. He seemed... disappointed.

"Alright. I will. But you can't live like this, Weiss. You're going to hurt yourself."

She nodded, not meeting his gaze.

"I know."

He stood, tapping his pen against the pad.

"Anyway, it will take a while to do this, I don't have a lot of time outside of work to build this. And it will take a while to find a clean one-"

"There's one just outside of town. I saw it on the internet this morning."

He paused, sending her a concerned look again.

"Okay, if I can get that in the shop some time this week, I won't be able to start-"

"I want this done this Friday."

Again, interrupted, Whitley paused. His eyebrows shot upwards, and a bemused smile fell against his ivory-white teeth.

"Friday? Are you nuts? You're asking me to do a full frame-up on a vehicle that I've never seen before in only _four days_ entirely by myself? That's just not feasible. I'd need my whole design and engineering team to help if you want it done that quickly."

"Alright, I'll rent out your shop. I'll pay your team myself out of pocket, and I'll pay off your boss. Anything you need for it, I'll pay for."

Whitley seemed impressed with this. She was shaking on the inside. Her brain was running on autopilot, and she genuinely thought she was going to pass out.

"You'll rent out my shop? For this? You must really like that truck."

She shook her head.

"It's the only chance I'll get to drive it again."

He sighed, pocketing his notebook.

"Don't be like that. If you're sure, I can do it for Friday. The guys are going to enjoy building something a little more hot-rod for once, I think. Actually, that reminds me. What are you going to be driving to work tomorrow?"

"I'm not going back to work tomorrow, I'm on grief leave."

Whitley laughed. Out loud.

"You've been on grief leave for a week and a half. You need to go back. I don't think that your PA can run that much company by herself."

"I trust Sandy."

"Hmm."

"Can I borrow your truck?"

She waited patiently as the question entered his head. She watched his face change. That unbelievably loud and raucous truck shook the house every time he left or returned to the garage. He had never let her drive it, save for one time when he had asked her to back it into a parking spot a little straighter. _Nobody_ ever got to drive Whitley's truck.

"Can y- _most certainly not,_ dear sister. In your state, you are so compromised I fail to trust you with a can opener, let alone a seven-hundred horsepower pickup. If I gave you a breathalyser test, I'm sure it wouldn't be reading the alcohol percentage in your blood, but rather the blood percentage in your alcohol."

She let out a short snicker. He was probably right. Despite the ridiculous amount of coffee, she still felt a little drunk, and the amount of booze in her system _was_ something like eight times the legal limit.

"Look, I love you and all, but you're not driving a one-of-a-kind custom vehicle with _that_ much hangover. You own so many different vehicles, you're not wrapping _mine_ around a tree, thank you."

She punched him in the shoulder. Her wrist stung a touch.

"Hey! I've driven with a hangover before!"

He laughed.

"Yeah, but in your car has sophisticated all-wheel-drive and computerized traction control. I've witnessed your hangovers. You'd be hard-pressed to drive a shopping cart. Actually, I take back what I said. I'll have Klein drive you to work tomorrow. I'll even lend you my limo _if_ you promise to not stand up out of the sunroof."

Right. That. It had been her sixteenth birthday. She had gotten drunk. She had borrowed her younger brother's limousine, and she had done exactly that.

"No promises."

They chuckled together. It felt different to connect with her brother like this. Not bad, by any means, but good enough for her.

"By the way, I meant to ask. How is it that you know this much about cars, Weiss?"

She sighed, smiling a little.

"Well, I spend a lot of my time at work and at home on the internet. Sometimes I get distracted by-"

At this moment they were interrupted by the re-arrival of Klein, who had slipped silently in the kitchen door at some point in their conversation. He looked worried, she noticed.

"Do excuse me, children, I do apologize for the intrusion, but I regret to inform you that-"

 ** _WHAM_**

"WEISS! WHITLEY! What in the gods name is going on in here!? Why hasn't dinner been started yet?! We have guests coming over!"

"...Your father is home."

/.../

Weiss leaned back in her chair, kicking her feet up onto the table and almost knocking over the bottle of wine that sat between her and her brother. Whitley's face bore no expression, but the tensed muscles in his temples and the ring of sweat around his collar were proof that he was certainly not expressionless. His hands clamped down on his utensils, and as subtly as he could, he jabbed her in the leg with his fork, whispering as he did.

" _Put your feet down before father comes back."_

She stuck her tongue out in his direction, kicking him with her shin.

"It's my house, I can do what I want."

She recieved a slap on the leg from an increasingly irate sibling. Their mother, sitting at the end of the long table and three glasses in at this point, paid them no heed. The aging woman's eyes were downcast, into the soup she had been provided. Her faded white hair had been done up in what was likely a thousand lien bun, and her dress and gloves matched the price tag, if not the style. Even Whitley had found himself a smart dinner suit in the time it had taken to prepare the first of the many courses of food.

But Weiss? She had kept her pyjama pants and Whitley's sweater-vest, not even bothering to change the ripped dress shirt underneath. Their guests surely wouldn't care, as they seemed more interested in the artwork in the main lobby than in the food that hadn't been served yet.

" _Look, I can be accommodating for you, but doing this in front of father and his guests is pushing it. Put your feet down!"_

His whisper-yell was abrasive on her ears, so she sent him another raspberry. He deserved it.

"Nuh-uh. You put your feet _up._ As the man of the house, I give the orders and make the rules. I don't care."

The steam that was collecting inside had very nearly reached it's boiling point. Whitley looked fit to burst. They could hear the approaching footsteps and loud voice of their father, down at the end of the hall. It sounded like he was once again over-emphasizing one of the works of her _maternal_ grandfather, claiming him to be his own father. Not many of their guests ever actually found out that he wasn't a real Schnee. Not that Weiss ever _felt_ like one, but that didn't matter. The voices grew louder.

"Hey, Whit, do you think I could drink all the wine on the table before he comes in, leaving none for anyone else?"

" _No, and if you do, I'm not helping you with that thing you wanted."_

She slapped him in the arm.

"You're a jerk- Hey!"

The huge wooden door opened up slowly at the end of the dining room, and in one swift movement, Whitley had grabbed her around the ankles and dropped her feet to the floor _for_ her. He stood as their father led the guests into the room, giving her a moment to observe them as introductions were made.

"Children, I present to you the Duke and Duchess of Winterschlaf."

With a horrible wiggle of his moustache, he showed his guests into the room. The aforementioned Duke was a tall, elderly-looking gentleman, dressed in a surprisingly sharp black suit, and his wife, a woman far too young for him, wore an overly extravagant silver gown, complete with elbow-high velvet gloves. What was with the trend of rich women wearing gloves? Weiss made a face only Whitley could see.

"I would also like to welcome their lovely children, Maxim and Anastasia. My friends, do take a seat. Dinner will be along very shortly."

Weiss sat up nervously. The twins had intrigued her. Maxim wore a ceremonial military suit, his brownish-red hair amicably fluffy and stylish, and his facial hair was all but a suggestion. He looked young, maybe a little older than herself, but not by much. She had to admit he was very handsome.

His sister, however, intrigued her more. Both of them were quite tall people, likely six foot something, but the sister, Anastasia, was wearing a set of six inch heels that she had seen her own personal tailor, the great Gregori Armano himself creating the last time she was in for a fitting. This girl had some serious taste and some _seriously_ deep pockets. The dress she was wearing made her nearly faint. Floor-length, form-fitting, and with a severely distracting boob-window, it made the already imposing woman even more... alluring? The rich red colour of both the dress and the woman's fabulously long and flowing ginger hair stood out vividly compared to the rest of her family.

 _Holy fuck, she's hot. Lemme smash._

Her mouth watered just at the sight of the woman's lusciously bare neck and shoulders. The twins sat down in the presented high-back chairs directly across from her own spot. Weiss felt quite suddenly underdressed. The sound of her father's chair being filled directed her attention back up to the head of the table, the place she _usually_ sat when they didn't have guests. She sent a glance down at her mother, who in her inebriated state, hadn't even registered anything beyond the end of her soup spoon. Several chrome trolleys of food came out of a side door from the kitchen, pushed out by a long trail of suit-wearing waiters.

 _Geez, even they're better dressed than I am._

Instead of letting herself get lost in the _literally_ sparkling beauty of the woman across from herself, she focused her attention over to her brother instead. He met her eyes, giving her a little smile, his emerald eyes shining in the evening light.

 _Oh, so he's hot too? Fuck me and fuck everything. Goddamn it._

She had to look away _again._ Whitley seemed focused on the correct orientation of his napkin on his lap, continuously adjusting the angle of the little silk square. Even _he_ seemed nervous, his gaze never once passing the two people across from them. They both fidgeted.

"Presenting the first course, roasted boar. Fired in a wood oven using only the finest applewood, it is garnished with salt, pure black pepper, and thyme. We hope you enjoy."

Seven waiters all brought silver platters off their trolleys at once, placing them down in front of each of the diners and lifting the lids, revealing a large leg of ham for each of them. She reached for her fork, hesitating before she reached it. Her brother seemed to have done the same. Their guests, however, nearly immediately started to dig in. Her father spoke up, his mouth full of boar and his moustache full of visible disappointment.

"So. Weiss, Whitley, I should properly introduce you further to our guests, further than just names."

Her eye twitched. She didn't like where this was going. The man across the table from her smiled in her direction again. She shuddered from the smoulderingly attractive gaze. Whitley, his face red with what she couldn't tell was anger or embarrassment, looked away up at the grand chandelier above their father.

"Whitley, this is Anastasia. She's a graduate of Anfang University, majoring in political science-"

"I have a doctorate in hybrid engineering, father. Political science isn't real science."

Weiss turned to her brother, impressed by his snappy response. He winked back at her. The ginger woman seemed neither to have heard nor have taken offence to what he had said, silently eating the food that she had to admit smelled pretty good.

"As I was saying, she's well-versed and well-studied. I understand she is a little tall for your taste, however at least she is not that Sarina girl, or whatever her name was. The tramp with the short hair."

"Samiyah, father."

Weiss cringed, watching her brother squirm in his seat. The woman across the table was showing _serious_ unwavering restraint. Whitley seemed to be running out of patience, and Weiss had started to notice a trend.

"Yes, whatever. Anyway, Anastasia may be a year or two older, but that shouldn't be a problem. She is a fine woman, if I do say so myself, my boy."

Her brother was shaking in his seat. His knuckles were white from how hard he was gripping his utensils. She looked back over at her father, who was wiggling his moustache in his son's direction. He turned his attention to his daughter for a moment. Weiss froze in place. Uh oh. She turned back to Maxim, who was still smiling his million-lien-smile.

"And Weiss, my dearest daughter..."

She turned back to him, a glare in her eye. This was going _exactly_ how she thought it might.

"This is Maxim."

Her whole body convulsed as one. She knew it. Another attempt at finding her a suitor. Another attempt to find a _man_ to marry into the Schnee name and claim the enterprise for their own. She stood up, sliding her chair backwards across the floor with a loud scrape. The force alone knocked the over the wine bottle closest to her.

"No!"

She pointed an aggravated finger in her father's direction. She wasn't having it today. She was done.

"I will _not_ be sold out to every simple minded child of each of your friends, father! I don't _want_ to be just a housewife in your little game!"

She slammed her hand down on the table, shaking the silverware and china.

"I've had _enough!_ I'm not a pawn for you to play with! This is _my_ house, this is _my_ company, and if you had wanted to keep it under your control, you shouldn't have given it to me! But you did. So now _I_ have control, and I'm not giving it to some snot-nosed brat who sits in his room all day and plays Prince Charming for the cameras!"

The boy across from her choked on his wine.

"Because let's be honest, here. I have no interest in getting married to this guy, or any other one of the insufferable children you try and set me up with! I _made_ my choice a long time ago, but for some reason that wasn't good enough, and now look what's happened! I'm turning out like mother. Soaked in alcohol and miserable."

Everyone at the table sent a glance down towards the end where their mother sat, asleep and inebriated. She hadn't reacted even a little. She turned her attention back to the guests, directing the angry finger at Max.

"You, boy, look at me. Look at me!"

He seemed to retract into his suit a little.

"Do you want to be with me for the rest of your miserable, insufferable life?"

He froze, his eyes wide.

"Well, I can give you a bunch of reasons why you would loath such a marriage. Number one, and _by god_ is it a big one; I like pussy. There, I said it. Y'all were thinking it, so I'm going to clarify it. I prefer women to men. So there would be _absolutely zero_ sexual content to our relationship. I'm not gonna blow you, I'm not going to carry a kid for you. And I'm going to demand we sleep in separate beds, so we're not even going to cuddle!"

Whitley gagged on some air, trying his hardest not to laugh. A pitiful smile came to her face. He could laugh if he wanted to.

"If there was any man I would have sex with, it would be my boy Pu$$ySlayr69 from X-Station Online just so I could dominate him one last time. And you know what? I don't even know what he looks like!"

She paused to take a breath. All this shouting was going to get to her.

"Number two! I have a hair-trigger temper, as you might have noticed. Do you want to be remembered as the man who was stabbed to death by his wife because he didn't close the refrigerator door all the way and the milk went sour? Because I will not hesitate to gut you like a fish, motherfucker!"

Her father roared from his end of the table.

" _Weiss, that's enough!"_

She roared back.

"Oh, _is it?!_ I don't think it is! You thought you could coerce me into being subservient by inviting the Duke and his kids over so I might behave myself and act to your stupid social heteronormative structure, well... I won't! The monarchy of this stupid country is entirely ornamental. You know who the richest and most powerful person is on this planet?"

Nobody dared answer. She saw her brother discreetly point in her direction.

"That's right. _Me._ I own ninety percent of all dust mining and refinement operations across the globe, and this wretched company controls seventy percent of _all_ wealth! The goddamn King of Atlas answers to _me!_ You know, last year for my birthday, King Arnolf bought me some pretty sweet stuff. I got _these_ sweet pyjama pants, a very excellent bottle of wine, and this really rad radio control plane! The King actually _came_ to my birthday party, here at the house! We got drunk and played SnipperClips! _The actual King of Atlas,_ motherfucker! And you know who _wasn't_ at my birthday party?"

She looked down the table at her father. There was nothing but a red haze of fury in her vision now. So much that it actually _hurt._

" _You!_ You never even bothered to care about your own daughter enough to get her a birthday gift, let alone _attend._ You've done nothing but make all three of us hate you! You shame Whitley for his choice of women, you shame me for _choosing_ women, and you shame Winter for getting engaged to a man I can honestly say was a better father to his nieces than you were to me! And he was never around!"

The moustache twitched.

"You should watch your tone We-"

"No! I've had it! I'm done!"

She sent the angry finger around in a circle pointing to each of the dinner attendees.

"Fuck you, fuck you, fuck you, fuck you, _extra fuck you,_ fuck you, you're cool, I'm out!"

With a flourish, she picked up the knocked over wine bottle, held it out horizontally in front of her self, then dropped it back onto the table. She stormed her way back towards the exit of the room, using a small poorly-focused glyph to push her chair back into the table. Two more glyphs formed on the huge cherrywood double doors, blasting them open. The shouts of her father droned in her head as white noise as she stomped her way back down the hallway.

Weiss had never felt more _livid_ with anyone or anything this bad before. Perhaps it was remnants of alcohol in her system that had allowed her to let loose like she had. She passed through the lobby, spitting in the direction of the kitchen wing as she climbed the grand staircase back up to her room. With a hearty kick, the door to said room was knocked nearly clear of it's frame, before being hammered shut again by another loose glyph. She wanted to scream, but that didn't seem like it would be cathartic enough. With her whole body shaking, she crossed the room and through the door that lead into her personal music studio, which sat adjacent to her bedroom.

With a quick scan of her collection, she grabbed the cherry-red open-body electric that hung next to the door. The very same one she had played in that little music shop in Liebesdorf, which she had bought online a few days ago and had overnighted. Grabbing a patch chord and plugging in, she switched on the ceiling-high four _thousand_ watt amplifier. She grabbed the large gain knob and twisted as far as it would go, cranking the master volume up quickly after. The room started to hum loudly. Flicking the guitar's selector into the lower pickup and kicking the _overdrive_ pedal on the floor, she grabbed a pick off the nearest stool. Her heart raced. She readied her hand.

 _PAIN_

"...Without love."

She hit the first chord.

The whole house shook.


	28. Chapter 28: Harvest

Chapter 65

Morning light crept into the room from the smallest of cracks in the curtains. It hit her eyes with a warm band of light that invaded her senses. She tried to squint away the light, but it was too blinding to run from. The sunlight sucked. It had travelled one hundred and forty-nine _million_ kilometres just to rest annoyingly against her eyelids. She opened them, only to shut them immediately as the sunlight tried to fry her retinas. She made a noise into her pillow, trying to roll away. Except she couldn't. Something was stopping her from rolling forward.

"What th-"

A glance downward gave way to the culprit. The cool and metallic fingers of Yang's arm were hooked around her ribs, pinned between her torso and the sheets. She tried to get it off by wiggling her torso around on the mattress to no avail, the arm stayed latched to her. Like it was refusing to let go. Ruby huffed, blowing a few strands of her bangs out of her eyes.

"Yang, let go of me. You're pinching my-"

 _SNORRRRE_

Ruby paused, confused. The loud noise hadn't come from right over her shoulder, where said sister's head should have been. In fact, there was no feeling of breasts pushing into her back, and there was no feeling of a muscular and boyish leg draped over her hip. That was the usual way Yang invaded her bed, anyways, opting for the full snuggle. This felt vastly different this morning. She rolled onto her back, calling out for her sister.

"Yang?"

The bed behind her was empty, but not without evidence of her cot-intruder. The metal arm was all by it's lonesome, disconnected from its owner at the mid-bicep, and still holding on for dear life around her ribs. The more Ruby moved, the more she realized the strong robotic fingers were actually pinching her quite badly. Now where on Remnant could the blond no-longer-cyborg be?

"Sis?"

The bed sheets were quite askew, bundled up like they had been run through with an auger. Ruby sat up. The quiet snoring continued from off the right side of the bed. She leaned over slightly, trying to peer over the edge. A large, tangled mess of yellow-blond hair was clearly visible, protruding up and out of a bundle of comforter that had been dragged off the edge of the mattress. Ruby sighed down at her sibling, who snored loudly back up at her. Any louder and she's wake _herself,_ it seemed.

"Ya-ang!"

The bundle of blankets stirred, ceasing the snoring. The fabric inflated and deflated quite deeply, before rolling over. A messy and dirty face stared up at her from the floor. Ruby couldn't _not_ smile as the face tried to open its eyes and mouth.

" _Wuby?"_

"Good morning, Yang."

Without any sort of cognizant ability, Yang tried to move on the floor. It was a little like watching a newborn calf try and walk for the first time, as Yang seemed to not have the muscular strength in her body to support her own weight. The more she struggled, the more it made Ruby giggle.

" _Whazzhappen..."_

"It's the morning, Yang. We wake up in the morning."

The still-mostly-asleep baby calf on the floor mulled this over for a moment before reaching a decision.

"No, we don't."

She tried to roll back over and fall asleep again, but her face impacted the side of the bedframe. Ruby chuckled again. With a swing of her hips, she moved herself into a seated position at the side of the bed and hung her legs down over the edge, resting the palms of her feet on the rump of her sister's hip. Yang tried to swat her away with her right hand, still not realizing it wasn't attached anymore. Realizing the comedy potential, Ruby started to unhook the metal fingers that were clamped around her one by one, each one coming loose with a grind of servo gears.

"Yes we do, Yang. Especially when it's-"

She checked the little digital clock on the bedside.

"-seven-fifteen in the morning. You said we had to get up early today."

The bundle of blankets pouted.

" _Don'wanna."_

"Too bad."

With a light shove, she kicked Yang back onto her back on the floor, and kicked the stolen comforter off of her. Her sister shivered, now that her body was exposed to the air of the room. Yang's eyes opened, her irises flashing a dark red. Normally a sign of anger, Ruby simply gave the angry woman a bemused smile. Yang's pyjama shirt had ridden up all the way to her neck, exposing the _SDC_ branded pocketed utility bra she probably hadn't taken off in a week at least, and a bunch of scrapes on her chest and stomach she had gotten when she had tripped over her bootlaces the previous night while stacking wood in the furnace room. Ruby reached over with her toes and grabbed the fabric of her sister's shirt, pulling it back down over her stomach.

"There you go! Nice and warm again!"

Yang sighed, closing her eyes and draping her arm over her face. Her mouth, previously curled into a mighty frown, relaxed and fell into a toothy grin.

"Hand me my glasses, will ya'?"

Ruby mused, finally pulling her sister's arm off of her torso. She really did have an iron grip. Well, titanium-alloy grip, actually.

"You don't wear glasses, Yang."

She stuck her toes back up under Yang's shirt and tried to tickle her sides. The blond giggled, writhing in mock agony.

"Oh yeah, right."

Reaching up with her left hand, she grabbed the bedspread next to Ruby and pulled herself into a seated position. Swinging her legs around, she brought herself onto her knees. Ruby watched with baited breath. She hadn't noticed _yet,_ but it was coming. She gingerly hid the metal arm out of view, under the pillow closest to her. Yang went to use her right hand to push herself upright.

"Guess you aren't offended by my underwe- _ACK!"_

Without any arm below the shoulder to support her, Yang fell face-first onto the bed, bouncing harmlessly off and back onto the floor again. She brought her remaining hand up to her face, rubbing her nose. Ruby burst out into actual laughter, clutching her sides as it actually hurt. Yang seemed less angry and more confused. Ruby had to wipe away a few tears that had come to her eyes as she reached under the pillow and pulled out the arm. She held it upright in front of herself.

"Need a hand?"

She continued to giggle at her own joke as Yang sat in a puddle of pained confusion on the floor.

"What...? How...?"

Ruby paused in the middle of her desperate gasping for breath. She tossed the metal limb into Yang's lap, who looked at with even more confusion.

"I woke up and it was fondling me. It's a cheeky little bugger when it's not attached to you."

Yang's face went red.

"I- I- I'm _so_ sorry, I have no control when it's not- Oh my god, Ruby, I-"

Ruby laughed, flicking her hair back.

"Holy cow, your _face._ I'm joking, Yang. It was wrapped around me here."

She pulled up her t-shirt a little, showing off the five little red finger-shaped bruises on her ribs.

"Still has a hell of a grip. Need me to tune it up so it doesn't cause another bedroom incident?"

Yang went even _redder._ She fumbled around one handed, trying to re-attach the errant limb. She seemed to be having difficulty getting her arm back on, as it was refusing to stay attached.

"Thought we weren't gonna talk about _that_ , Ruby."

"That one's on you. You did that to yourself."

Yang turned away, trying to hide inside herself. The 'incident' she referred to was one Yang _insisted_ they not talk about. It had happened a few years ago when her arm had... 'malfunctioned.' Yang had been so embarrassed that she had demanded that they both sign a contract saying that Ruby would never talk about what she had seen that day, and Yang would never misuse her prosthesis again.

"Shut up. I _will_ hurt you, Ru."

"I'd like to see you try with only fifty-percent of your arms still attached."

"Give me a _moment."_

Yang seemed to still be struggling to get her arm on. It wasn't clicking into place like it usually did. She fiddled with it a little longer. She huffed, giving up.

" _Shit_. I wore out another one. Poopy. Hang on, Rube, I gotta grab my straps."

Yang stood, exiting the room with a purposed walk. It was a little strange to hear Yang using bad language. She was normally against using such profanities. Something about how using what she called 'blue language' too often ruined their meanings. Made them...worthless. In case of emergency, no one would be able to decipher the urgency if curses were used to often. This was what their dad had taught them anyways, and Ruby had tried her best to follow this advice. Even if she did use curses herself, occasionally. It was still strange to hear Yang use them, though.

"Alrighty, lets get ready for the day."

Yang re-entered the tiny room, her arm attached once again using the faded leather straps that wrapped around her shoulder and torso. The first of her many prosthetic arms had come with these straps. At the time, it was the best way they could have attached the forty-pound steel arm to her shoulder. The straps had always irritated her, digging in to her skin and leaving ugly red marks in their place. Nowadays she had kept the straps around for the instances when the new lightweight arm needed either extra support of the suction-brace system failed to latch on to the remainder of real arm. This seemed to be the case today.

"Wait, why are you in _my_ room, yours is over there."

Yang paused, halfway through tightening the strap that cut from under her arm to her opposite shoulder. She blinked a few times, frowning.

"I meant get _you_ ready for the day, Ru-ster. It takes me like ten seconds to get ready. _You_ always take far too long, so I'm gonna change that."

"I'm not a little kid, I can dress myself."

"True, but you still can't _choose_ outfits very well. You always pick the boringest stuff. C'mon, I'll get you somethin' from _my_ wardrobe."

Ruby frowned. Yang didn't normally give away her clothes so freely, save for when she didn't want them anymore and just handed them over. She treated her clothes _almost_ with the same sort of possessive nature as her hair.

"But...my clothes are fine?"

"Ru, you went and grew up an' filled out in Atlas. This is all kid stuff. It ain't gonna fit."

With a purposeful grip, Yang grabbed her and guided her out of the room. Her bare feet provided limited traction on the unwaxed hardwood floor compared to Yang's rubber soled slippers, making her resistance a fruitless endeavour. She caved, and allowed the taller and tougher woman to lead her across the hallway and into her bedroom. With a twirl, she found herself pushed into a seated position on her sister's bed.

"Right!"

Yang clapped her hands and turned to her dresser, pulling open the top drawer. A light purple something came flying at her head, tossed with robotic accuracy. She caught the thick cotton object in her fingers, flinching from the force.

"You'll need one of _these,_ to start, hun."

Ruby looked down at the object she had almost been hit by.

"No! I'm not gonna wear this!"

She flung it aside, mildly grossed out. Her fingers felt dirty all of a sudden. Yang wasn't stopped, however.

"Hey, It'll fit you better than the kiddie ones in _your_ dresser. Besides, you need pockets to hold extra tools an' stuff."

Ruby relented, scooting away from the purple bra.

"That's not the point, Yang, I'm not wearing _your_ underwear! That's just nasty!"

"Look, I'm not asking you to wear my- you know what, forget it. Wear your own uncomfortable bras if you're _so_ offended. You're acting like I don't wash my boobs or anything. I'm not a dirty person."

Ruby looked back down at the purple utility bra, its many pockets and zippered hiding pouches staring back. She hadn't meant to offend.

"Alright, fine. But only because there's no real pockets on any of my pants. Or yours, for that matter."

Yang laughed as she continued to rummage through her closet.

"Who said anything about pants?"

/.../

The kitchen was much too bright this morning. The sun beat in at a very low angle, making all the chrome appliances much too shiny. Ruby had to squint at everything just to find her way around the kitchen.

"Good morning, sweetheart."

"Hey dad."

Her dad sat quietly at the table, newspaper unfolded in many pieces out in front of him, and a very delicious smelling peanut-butter coated bagel half eaten on a plate. Ruby moved into the kitchen. She was going to have one too, she figured.

"Where's your sister?"

Ruby stepped over the sleeping mass of fur that was Zwei, who awoke for just a moment to look up at her before resting his chin back on his paws and falling back asleep. She resisted the urge to _aww_ loudly at the little corgi.

"In her room, brushing her hair."

He seemed content with this answer, not having looked up yet from his newspaper. Taiyang was usually an observant man, but today he seemed more interested in his news story than her outfit. She grabbed the plastic bag of bagels out of the breadbox, grabbing one of the doughy circles out. With a sigh, she grabbed the closest knife in the knife block and cut it in half. She pulled the toaster away from the wall. It was still plugged in, she noticed.

"So what are we doing today?"

Tai took a sip of his tea, continuing to read. From her vantage point, she could only make out the headline, reading _Two Moose Loose in Goose Sanctuary_ across the top of the page. She smiled, amused by the clever word choice.

"Well, today is harvest day, so you an' your sister are going to be working the fields today. I think you should take- goodness, don't _you_ look beautiful today, sweetheart."

Ruby giggled, a warm and happy feeling coming to her face. So he _had_ noticed.

"Yeah, Yang made me wear this."

"Well she _does_ have impeccable taste. But why did she think you needed such a lovely dress? The two of you are going to be in the harvesters all day long. I-I mean, you look lovely, but for what reason?"

Ruby shrugged. She hadn't actually been given a good reason why she was in the flowery summer dress. It was a nice dress, sure, modest cut neckline, thick straps, and hemmed just above the knees so as to reveal only a socially acceptable amount of leg. Yang had found it in the back of her closet, a relic from when she had attended Signal Academy. On Yang, it was too slutty as the taller woman had significantly longer legs and wider hips, but on Ruby it was almost a perfect fit. She had already decided to keep the rose-covered dress for herself.

"Eh, I dunno. I think she said were were going out later or something. After dinner I think."

"That's fine, I guess. You guys are just a few hours early with your outfits, eh?"

Ruby chuckled at her dad.

"I guess so."

"Well, whatever the case, you look lovely. Ah, Yang, glad you could join us!"

At that moment, Yang bounded from down the hallway, a huge grin on her face. Ruby's jaw dropped. She had been betrayed again.

"But... you said..."

Yang had put on a pair of navy designer jeans, the only designer thing she owned if they were all honest, a ridiculous pair of polished brown leather cowboy boots, and her favourite, and at this point _signature_ red plaid button-up. Ruby grimaced at her with a malicious intent.

"You said you were gonna wear a dress too!"

"No, I didn't!"

Ruby pouted.

"Yeah, you picked it out and lay it on the bed! The denim one!"

Yang bounced over, resting her arms around her shoulders and dropping _another_ one of her sisterly smooches into her hair. Ruby wasn't having it, wiggling away and frowning.

"I said I would only wear this if you wore one too! You _lied_ to me!"

Yang shrugged.

"Yeah I thought about it, but then I decided against it. Too bad for you-hoo!"

"You _LIED_ to me! To my precious face!"

"Girls, please-"

"I can't believe you'd betray your _only_ sister like that! I trusted you!"

"You shouldn't have trusted what you couldn't see, baby sis!"

"Girls-"

"You know I hate dresses as a general rule! I don't like the way they look on me and-"

"It's too late, Ruby-kin. I have the high ground!"

"I hate you!"

"GIRLS!"

They both stopped. Yang teetered on the chair she had stood on, and they both looked over at him, wooden spoons in hand ready to battle. This was the usual conclusion to their arguments, an occurrence frequent enough at Beacon that they had been banished from the communal kitchens in the dorm. Their dad looked ready to do that right about now as well.

"You two need to stop. Yang, if you promise something to your sister, what do you do?"

Yang got off the chair, holding the spoon at her side like a scorned child.

"Follow through with it. But-"

"Ah ah, no buts. Ruby, what do we _not_ do when someone upsets us?"

Oh. She hadn't expected to be questioned. Ruby looked down at her feet, very embarrassed.

"Start wars with kitchen equipment."

"Good. Now, Yang, explain to your sister why you didn't follow through and apologize."

"Because the shoulders of that dress are too tight to wear over this arm."

Ruby turned, amused. Yang's temporary brace had indeed bulged the right shoulder of her shirt out a little. Normally it wouldn't be noticeable under a regular jacket or hoodie, but it was thick enough with the heavy leather straps that it would not have fit into the tight sleeves of the blue denim cargo dress.

"Oh. W-well... Actually that's fair. You know, I was gonna have you go change but that seems like it's a reasonable excuse. Ruby, your retort?"

"I still want to hit her with a spoon, but I'll hold off."

Tai laughed, leaning back in his chair.

"Oh, you girls will be the death of me some day."

He stood from his chair, the legs squawking loudly against the floor as he did. He strolled over with purpose, wrapping his arms around them both.

"It's a good thing I love you two or else that might be a problem."

With a practised bend of her back, Yang managed to slip out of the hug, leaving Ruby alone to be squeezed. Ruby frowned and stuck her tongue out at her.

"Thanks, dad. We're always here to be your problem!"

He sighed with a chuckle, releasing his grasp.

"You two would never be a problem."

Ruby beamed. It felt so good to feel valuable, even if it was just to her dad. For the first time in quite a very long time, she actually felt needed. Someone valued just her being around. It felt great. She couldn't keep the silly smile from her face. Tai clapped his hands together to regain their attention.

"Right! It's harvest day, girls. We have quite a lot of work to do. Ruby, still know how to drive a combine?"

"I think so."

"Alright, you can take the twelve-meter out to fields seven and eight, Yang you take the nine-metre out to three and four."

Yang, as usual, took the opportunity to whine.

"But da-aad. Why does Ruby get the far fields? I was gonna do them!"

Ruby laughed at her sister.

"Maybe if you had put on the dress he'd have been more lenient."

"I won't hesitate to hit you with the spoon, you field-stealing demon!"

Tai seemed to have had enough. With a dramatic sigh, he turned and marched out of the room, leaving the two sisters to argue. The moment he was out of earshot, Ruby laughed again, making her sister burst out as well. They stayed like this for a little while, basking in their own joke for a minute. It was nice. Yang broke the silence first.

"I guess we gotta go. Got some hours to put in, eh?"

She clapped her hand down on her shoulder, giving her shorter frame a short shake. Ruby nodded, conceding.

"Yeah, I guess."

"Right, you get out there, I have to fuel up the old girl. Radio me if you need anything out there."

"Of course."

/.../

The big harvester crawled slowly forward, held back by its massive brakes. She didn't want to screw the hookup up. The huge header alone was something to the effect of eighty thousand lien, she literally couldn't afford to crash into it. She fiddled with the brightly lit touchscreen under her right hand, dropping the hydraulic rams down just an inch more. Lining up to the header was hard, even in the newer, computerized harvester. Only the top-of-the-line Greene Series tractors had the auto-hookup feature in them, but a premium had to be paid as it was still an option. Even this two-year-old harvester, considered brand new in terms of farm equipment, though it was equipped with the latest tech and features, was still lacking compared to the ludicrously expensive DXR and FXR tractors made in Atlas.

"Come on..."

She tried to keep the tractor going steady. The rear-wheel steering was hard to get to grips with again after this many years of not having to drive a harvester. She had tried to engage the complicated electric _four-_ wheel-steering that it was equipped with, but she had nearly run into the barn after the first twenty feet. Rear-steer only was hard enough.

 _BING_

The light came on on the touch display. The mounting sensors had detected that they thought she was close enough to the header. With a few more pokes on the touch screen, the little hydraulic claws on the conveyor assembly slowly closed down, clamping the header firmly to the front of the harvester. The air-sprung cab barely shook as the nearly five-tonne implement shook as it was lifted.

"Ah. Perfect."

Reaching down next to her air seat, she grabbed her coffee thermos from the floor-mounted cup holder and brought it up to drink. The sweet taste of cream and five sugars warmed her body. Yang always knew what to make without even asking. It tasted like the finest medium-quality ground coffee from that one place in town that also sold mediocre strawberry rhubarb pie. She tapped the touch screen again, synchronizing the PTO drive coupler to the header. After a few more seconds, the text box popped up, indicating that the hydraulic coupling unit had affixed itself and was powered. She grinned. It was nice having the more expensive of the two combines. It meant she didn't have to get out and manually lock the header in place and hook up the drive shafts by _hand._ She would certainly have gotten grease on her dress, and probably gotten mud _in_ her boots. Neither of which was a good time.

With a hiss of air pressure, the huge machine clicked into gear again. She slid her fingers slowly down the touch screen, watching the header through the huge panoramic glass windscreen as it lowered to the ground. The massive cutting head spun slowly to life, and the huge twin engines spun up to operating speed. They were quiet inside the cabin, but she new the noise this massive machine made was enough to wake the neighbours for _miles._ The twin-engine setup was a total waste in her opinion, but it did allow for her to use the widest cutting header on the market, of course.

She sighed, finally leaning back in her seat. The comfortable leather captain's chair encompassed her like the arms of one of those large teddy bears she saw for sale at the drugstore on Valentine's Day. She reached for the wheel. It was not within reach. A tiny smirk came to her face. She had driven out to the field sitting all the way forward, completely worried that she was going to crash the header into every fence and tree stump. Now she was comfortable and the header was mounted, the wheel was too far away. With a fiddle on the touch screen, the whole steering column glided soundlessly closer to her, bringing the button-covered wheel within her grasp.

"Okay... which one of these buttons is the..."

She prodded one of the many vaguely-labelled buttons on the front of the wheel. All of the tractor's massive projector high-beams turned on, illuminating the dirt at the edge of the field.

"Okay, nope."

She tried another one. The tractor's discharge chute folded outward, filling the right-side mirror with the huge red tube. She took a quick glance over her shoulder through the huge side window. The chute extended a good twenty-eight feet out from the side of the harvester.

"Huh. Useful to know."

She turned back, pushing another button on the left side of the wheel with a little speaker symbol on it.

" _..._ _and welcome to the hour of power. The time of rhyme. This is... Blues Battalion. I'm your host, Rory Grün."_

"Oh hell no."

The radio continued.

" _First up, I'm gonna spin this sweet record from my homegirl, Janet Jackson. It's called Rhythm Nation. Here we go..."_

Ruby panicked.

"Oh please, no. Please!"

She frantically tried tapping the buttons on the wheel again. All it did was make the horrible auto-tuned sounds louder.

"No no no nononono!"

She hated channel six radio and their awful mid-morning show. She hated Rory Grün and his miserable music taste and hairstyle. She hated having to share a building with those radio amateurs. But most of all, she hated R&B.

" _Five, four, three, two, one / Yeah yeah yeah yeah, yeah yeah yeah / Bass bass, bass, bass!"_

"Ahhhh how do I change it?! Why is this happening?!"

" _With music by our side /To break the color lines / Let's work together!"_

The button mashing continued. The station changed rapidly, flipping up higher into the end of the frequency range. When she let go of the button, the radio had settled on the oldies station, and the soft and calming sounds of Antonio Vivaldi came pouring out.

"Oh goodness me. Stupid expensive luxury combine."

Having figured out the complicated steering wheel, she flipped it back to her _own_ station, settling back into her huge chair. She smiled. It was time for her morning show.

" _Hey, goooood morning Atlas and welcome to Ruby Radio! Your home for all music from the 70's, 80's, and 90's! Hosted by everyone's favourite dork, me! Ruby Rose!"_

"Okay, I need to dial that intro back like _sooo_ many steps."

" _On today's show, we're gonna be talking about a favourite of mine. A band from The Friendly Town, Norwood, North Vale."_

She smiled, finally releasing the harvester from its brakes and moving forward, into the edge of the tall wheat. The huge machine seemed to relax as it crawled forward, effortlessly starting the husking process. The little touch display changed to a tiny animated picture of the harvester, complete with a percentage diagram on how full the hopper was. With a few taps of the only logical button on the steering wheel, Ruby settled in as the cruise control pulled her along at a steady seventeen and a half kilometres-per-hour.

" _As I'm sure you're fully aware, this little band had its start as a little indie group made of high school students Adam Gontier, Neil Sanderson, and Brad Walst. In nineteen-ninety-two, the group, under the name of Groundswell, released a full-length album titled 'Wave of Popular Feeling' to almost zero acclaim. Few recordings remain of this album, but, because I'm a nerd, I did my homework. Here is the title track off that album."_

The song started to play, and she tapped the button she had figured out was the volume button, raising the volume a few clicks. She remembered the unreasonable amount of time she spent on the internet, trying her hardest to find this very recording. The one time her studio mate Flynt had been invited to her house had been that weekend in April when she needed help in her research. It turned out a fresh, unplayed copy of the record was in a private collection of the son of a member of the Atlas Royal Court. Some fancy rich kid, she remembered. Flynt had flexed his corporate muscles, promising a few important favours in return for the still-sealed vinyl. She remembered him saying it was going to be a present for some girl his father had said he might like. She scoffed.

"Geez, who lets their dad find them girlfriends? What a moron."

In his defense, the moron had been kinda cute, she figured. From the northern city of Winterschlaf, if she remembered correctly. The drive up had been fun, getting to spend the day in Flynt's stylish Klasse-3 _Kompressor_ sedan, talking about cars and women, mostly. He was a good man. He had offered to drive her to see a boy she had never met and make a probably million-lien deal for her so she could have two hours of stuff to talk about on her show. Their boss, Mister Bulsara, had been perfectly accommodating as well, giving them the two days off needed to make the long twelve hour drive. She remembered being allowed to drive the car, and Flynt _encouraging_ her to use the car's tightly-wound supercharger to its fullest on the open autobahn.

The aging sedan, while still in fairly good condition for its year, had felt like the Atlesian equivalent to her first car. It was a little worn in, the cloth seats were well-bolstered, and the power of the car's small boosted four cylinder was enough to make her smile without being dangerous. It was also red, just like her little RRS. Pulling up to the house of the Duke of Winterschlaf in the tired coupe had been a little awkward, however.

" _Can you believe that our man, Adam Gontier, was only seventeen at the time of that recording? I dunno, I feel like he has a whole 'Pear Jam' vibe going on with his voice in the early days. Really channelled his inner Eddie Vedder, you know? Ah, maybe I'm just sentimental. By the middle of ninty-five, the band had broken up, and their only legacy was this one lonely studio album. Here's the closing song off that album, Greedy Room."_

She smiled. She actually liked this song. She once had tried to play it on Yang's guitar without realizing it was actually a lap steel and therefore not actually something she could play chords on. What kind of self-respecting farm girl didn't own a guitar, even one of those Vacuan-made Hunter ones? A real shame, it was. The sweet sounds of alternative rock pounded quietly from the harvester's powerful surround sound system.

She gave the huge side mirrors a quick check to make sure she was still going straight. The tractor's automatic cruise control featured a GPS-driven _AutoHarvest_ mode that would ensure that it kept its heading, but she had decided to keep it off. She didn't trust the computers. She had been trained to keep herself straight without fancy automatic systems. The line of crops in her mirror showed exactly this, as the line between harvested soil and wheat still standing was dead straight. She smiled.

"Still got it."

The song on the radio ended with the fade out she would always do with the mixing panel that sat on her desk. It wasn't hard to hear the microphone click back on. The old mic always made that little pop as it powered up between songs, no matter how much frequency cancelling she put into the signal output. There wasn't anything she could do about it, really. She didn't have control over new equipment purchases.

" _Ah, the end of a band, right there. The end of an era. And it hurts, you know? It's like... you get so attached to something that's good, then you make a bond with it and let it become part of your life. And just like that -poof- it's gone. Makes you sad. Makes you want to cry. It comes from the heart. Because you miss it."_

Ruby frowned. This was an earlier one of her shows, so she didn't have the script memorized. This was one of the few shows that she didn't have an actual script at all, favouring a more ad-libbed story. She didn't remember this one to it's fullest.

" _Sometimes I feel like that. Sometimes I feel like my hardest accomplishments, my strongest bonds, that they're all gone. That I'm alone. MY band has broken up. Our legacy is over. Ugh, look at me. Getting all nostalgic from school. What a silly problem. No, my band isn't really broken up, we just moved away. Except for my best friend. We live in the same town, so we hang out all the time."_

Ruby's heart leapt into her throat.

 _No, please no._

" _In fact, this little band became the favourite of my best friend here in Atlas. She adores them now. Her personal recording studio is set up the same way the Long View Farm studio is built. She even owns the_ actual _guitar that the old lead guitarist, Phil Crowe used to play on stage. It's a pretty sweet set up, if I do say so myself."_

Her head pounded. This wasn't good.

" _It helps that she likes me enough to let me play with her guitars and equipment..."_

No. This was not okay. She didn't want to think about her right now. Or anyone. Ruby was very nearly in full panic mode. The sound of her head pulsing was getting to an unreasonable level.

" _Eh, she doesn't even listen to this silly show anyways. But, on the off chance she is, here's_ her _favourite song, from early on in the band's rebound career under a new name."_

The hyperventilating was going to make her pass out. There was nothing for her to grab on to, and nowhere for her to curl up more into. She couldn't even escape _herself._

" _So here's Three Days Grace; Pain."_

Her body convulsed. Moved on its own. Her hand shot up to the ceiling-mounted switch panel, smashing into the giant red _STOP_ button. All at once, everything stopped. Both of the tractor's huge engines halted, all of the brakes locked up, and the header stopped spinning and dropped into the dirt as hydraulic pressure was lost. It was a violent action, stopping like this. The massive lugs on the tires dug into the soft mud, almost stopping the harvester instantaneously with a few violent hops. Thanks to the padded lap-belt she was held in her seat, saved from being tossed through the panoramic windscreen.

 _You left her._

She closed her eyes.

 _She loved you._

Her teeth started to hurt from the strain.

 _You walked out on your friend._

Her hands came up to her ears to block out the sound. It was a frivolous gesture.

 _She loved you! She was trying to help you!_

"Stop..."

 _What kind of person are you?_

 _Weak?_

 _Yes. Weak._

"No..."

 _Oh, really? You walked out on the one person who wanted to help you._

 _The one person who could._

 _The one person who you needed._

 _And you walked away._

Ruby's head pounded. She wanted to scream. _Now_ there was nowhere to go.

 _Pitiful._

 _No, actually, not pitiful. No one's going to pity you. What's there to pity?_

 _You're just weak._

"I..."

 _What's the matter? Shame got your tongue?_

 _As usual._

 _Why don't you just run away?_

 _You're good at that, right?_

"Stop...it..."

 _No._

 _You know what you did. You DESERVE-_

"SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP!"

Her foot found the door, kicking it open. She pulled the seatbelt off with force, pulling the belt right out of the seat frame and tossing it out if the cab. The tilting steering column retracted back against the glass windshield, giving her leg room enough to step out. Ruby, of course, didn't step out. She _jumped_ from the cab.

"AAAARRGH!"

The dirt was soft enough to suck in her boots, and she sunk down to her knees. The white noise in her head was deafening. It needed to stop. Her hands came up to her coat, fiddling with the bronzed buttons. They came free without breaking out of the suede fabric. Something drastic needed to happen, and it was going to happen now. She reached her hand under her right armpit. Her fingers wrapped tightly to the polymer grip, pulling it free of the leather holster. Her eyes fixed to the wood fence at the edge of the field.

 _You couldn't do it if you tried._

She wanted to explode. If only to prove herself right. She raised the Seven-Five, her right hand supporting under the grip. The sights were far from helpful as her hands were shaking. Her stance was all wrong. Her blood pressure and heart rate were too high. Her breathing was too hard. She lined up.

"Fuck this."

The precision trigger was like a feather under her finger. The lightweight gun exploded in her hand, each round supposedly directed at the fence that sat forty or so feet away. It took no more than seven seconds to empty the twenty-round magazine into the target. Even after the last round had left the magazine and the small pile of brass casings had collected on the soft ground, she continued to pull the trigger a few times. The tiny cut created by the underside of the slide on her thumb stung a little. Her breath hurt in her lungs from the force. She lowered the weapon. There were no holes in the fence. She had missed each shot.

...

...

...

She waited. She wasn't quite sure what she was waiting for, however. Maybe she was waiting for the voice again. The voice was silent for now. Almost as if it was scared into silence. The usually unpleasant and scurrilous personality had gone silent, unwilling to pitch in. Ruby was okay with this for a moment. The silence was nice.

" _Ruby?"_

She didn't look.

"No! Shut up!"

The voice wasn't allowed back. She wasn't going to let it.

" _Ruby? Are you there?"_

She smirked. Of course she was. And she was going to win. She slid the gun back into the holster under her arm and did her jacket back up. The air was going to _remain_ quiet. She shook her head, the fluffy brown mop of hair bouncing around.

" _Ruby, come in. Ruby!"_

She turned back. The voice changed. It wasn't her usual condescension and abjection. It sounded more... urgent. And like her dad.

" _Ruby, pick up please!"_

Oh. The tractor's CB radio was still on, as it was powered separately from the rest of the vehicle as a safety feature. The little green light was flashing. She deflated into herself. It was a little embarrassing. With a sigh, she turned around fully and trudged back over to the harvester. The soft dirt grabbed at her rubber boots, as if it was trying to pull them free of her feet. She stumbled, nearly at the huge machine, falling to one knee and putting an unbecoming brown spot on the hem of her borrowed dress. She frowned down at it as she pulled herself back up the ladder over the huge front tires and back into the cab. She dropped back into the leather seat and grabbed the little black mic off of its hanger.

"Go ahead for Ruby."

Her dad came back over the radio.

" _Ruby, my gosh, are you okay? My desk alarm went off and I got an alert that your machine went into full shut down, and then I heard gunshots, and I-"_

"Dad, don't worry about it, I'm fine. There was a small Grimm, and I dealt with it, it's all good."

" _A Grimm? But none of the proximity alarms went off."_

She winced. Lying to her dad sucked.

"Y-yeah, it was just a little Creep. Small enough to slip through the fence I guess."

There was a pause. Maybe he could see through the lie. He _was_ her dad. The guilt filled her. It wasn't a good feeling in the slightest.

" _Well, if you're okay, hurry back after those two fields. And make sure you have extra ammunition on you in that case. Hope you don't mind waiting. It takes twenty minutes to reprime the engines on that tractor."_

"It's okay, I came prepared. Sorry if I overreacted to one little Grimm."

" _Don't worry sweetheart. It's okay. Just come back safe."_

"Okay dad."

With that, she hung the receiver back up on its hanger with a frown.

She needed to have a talk with Yang later.

Because, unfortunately, the voice in her head was right. She _had_ left Weiss. And she didn't know what to do about it. Her sister would be able to help. She had already promised to help her with any problem she had.

She knew she had messed up. And messed up _big_ time. Right at the end. Right when it mattered most. Weiss had been there for her. She had said she wanted to help. She had said they were a team. Ruby wiped her face on her sleeve.

 _But you can't function with your team._

"Shut up!"

With a twist of her wrist, she grabbed the door and yanked it shut. The glass vibrated.

"I don't want to hear it!"

 _But your friends. They weren't there to help you when you needed it, were they?_

Not for the incident. But after Pyrrha? Weiss _had_ been there! She was _going_ to help! What was it she had said, though? Ruby wracked her brain, trying to place the quote.

' _We're teammates, I'm here to help you' sound familiar?_

It did sound familiar. Just like the face of the woman she had run away from. Scared. Alone. _Desperate._ She had damaged her friend. It was completely unfair to Weiss. The tears welled up in her eyes. Losing Pyrrha had hit like a hammer in her chest. She hadn't known what to do, so she reacted on impulse. She had run away.

"...and the _only_ person...who even cared..."

 _You left them, didn't you?_

She sobbed.

"I did."

 _What are you going to do about it?_

"I don't know."

 _Shame. Weak as always._

It was unfair Pyrrha had died. It was unfair that her mother had died It was unfair that she had run away. It was unfair that she had been mistreated by someone she thought she loved. Everything was just _so_ fucking unfair. And she felt trapped, in her own skin.

She couldn't do this to Weiss. She actually _did_ love her, she just felt like she _couldn't._ It was, at the risk of repeating herself, unfair on all accounts. She wanted to shout and scream, to get it all out. But to whom? She couldn't afford her therapist anymore, and she couldn't talk to any of her other friends about the majority of her problems. But her sister?

Perhaps she could talk to Yang when they went out.

Yeah, that seemed like a good idea.

With a heavy, depressed sigh, Ruby hit the key on the tractor.


	29. Chapter 29: Disbelief

Chapter 66

With a jolt, Weiss woke up.

"Huhwhazzat!"

She paused, trying to steady her thundering heart. The dream she was having had been... traumatic, to say the least. She had been getting stabbed, through the stomach by a very snide and very saucy evil villainess with a burning spear. The woman had seemed familiar, but she still wasn't sure from where. She stayed still for a moment, trying to imprint the dream on her eyes so she could properly figure it out. The issue was, however, that her ability to remember stuff was compromised.

The bottle of rum on her desk was completely empty. The glass next to it, however, was dry. She sighed quite heavily at herself. Of _course_ she had drank from the bottle, instead of using the expensive crystal whisky glass. Her head hurt as she tried to picture the woman again. The rum had made her woozy. And not even the fun kind of woozy! The picture in her head was fading, and fading fast.

"No nonono come baa- and she's gone. Fuck."

She sighed, leaning back again. The big arm chair had her in a death-grip. It wasn't going to let go of her. With her feet up on the desk, she was barely mobile. Her arm found its way over her eyes, blocking out the sunlight that was coming in the room. Everything hurt.

"She was hot, too. Fuck me."

Her body groaned as she tried to sit up. Her knees had locked straight, requiring her to manually pull them off the desk and fold them back down. Her joints cried out in pain. She winced as her feet made contact with the ground again, both because her legs were numb, and because her rather pricey leather boots were covered in salt grime. They were ruined beyond repair. She would need a knew pair.

"Where's my...note...pad..."

She leaned forward, trying to find the pad. Her desk was a disaster. Papers were everywhere, the walnut was stained with chocolate and rum, and the potted cactus Blake had given her as a joke was knocked clean off the desk, sitting in a pile of ceramic and dirt on the floor. The notepad was nowhere to be seen. She sighed, grabbing the handle of her top drawer and pulling it open.

"What the hell...?"

All of the many pens and pencils in the drawer were coated in what looked like melted ice cream. Specifically chocolate-hazelnut ice cream. This was strange, given her allergy to hazelnuts. This might have explained her sore throat, though. She gave up on trying to explain that one to herself, grabbing one of the dry pens from her drawer. The closest paper to her was grabbed next, and her eyes grazed over it.

 _Deal of Aquisition: Mistral Digital_

 _On the date of September 30_ _th_ _of the year 2017, the assets and requisite property of the media conglomerate Mistral Digital into the ownership of the Schnee Dust Company, under the express condition that the corporation remain open and in business, and be publicly traded on the open market._

 _By the date of March 1_ _st_ _of the year 2020, Mistral Digital will be taken off the market and have its assets liquidated, marking the end of the company._

The rest of the contract was just pointless drivel. At the bottom of the page, written in her usual script, as the overly exquisite _W. Schnee._ Even though both her and her siblings were all _'W. Schnee'_ , only Weiss signed her name as she did. Winter was an adamant _'Sgt. Schnee',_ and Whitley always signed using his first name and a little squiggle. She flipped the page over, scribbling on the blank back side.

 _New shoes (call grigori)_

 _New desk_

 _New notepad_

 _More rum_

She thought she had more, but her mind went blank. She leaned back again, sticking the pen into the breast pocket of her blouse. The paper, stained in the corner by the rum puddle on the desk, was folded up and shoved into the inside pocket of the brown suede jacket that was hanging on the back of her chair. Whatever that document was for, it probably didn't matter now. It was just another one of the hundred or so deals that hit her desk every day. She sighed, slumping down again and pulling the desk phone over to herself. The little LCD display showed that she had _fourteen_ missed calls, and then same amount of voicemails.

"Ah, fuck. Well-"

She grabbed the handset and brought it to her ear, tapping the little envelope-button on the face of the phone. The little robotic voice came back at her, as it always did with the weird pronunciations and intonation.

' _You have...four-teen...new voice messages. To play your messages... press one.'_

Weiss pressed the one key.

' _First...new message...'_

There was a beep, followed by a short pause.

" _Guten morgen, Frau Weiss, ich-"_

"Skip!"

She hit the little arrow button.

' _Second...new message...'_

Another beep.

" _Hello, my name is Jo-"_

'Jo' didn't get to finish, as she skipped him too. He sounded like one of her regional managers anyways, and those slimy snakes were her least favourite employees. Another beep.

" _This is Dr. Arshon Ai from R &D, if you could please call me back at extension three-two-nine, I have the results of the mining report you wanted."_

The line went dead for a moment. She grabbed her paper again from her coat pocket and scribbled _Call Arshon 329_ at the bottom. Doctor Ai was always right to the point in his calls, and she liked that about him. She wished everyone left phone messages like that. She clicked the 'next' button again.

" _Weiss, dear, it's your mother. I know you're probably asleep at your desk again, but when you get this, please call the hous-"_

She skipped even her mother. Her heavily, _heavily_ drunk sounding mother. No one was immune to her ire today. The rum-induced headache was bad enough, she didn't want to have to deal with her parents today. Or ever, if she was honest. The next three messages were skipped out of spite, not even bothering to listen to the first five seconds of each one. She gave the next one the time of day.

" _Miss Schnee, hello."_

The voice was soft and warm. Very familiar.

" _I'd like to schedule a meeting with you so we may talk. I will be in Anfang in a few days."_

She recognized the voice as the only man who _didn't_ introduce himself to her over the phone. It was Ren. She sighed, settling down and scribbling _Call Ren_ in the next empty space on the sheet of paper.

" _I am concerned about you. You don't normally depart with such haste and then condemn yourself to solitude. I worry about what happened. You're my friend. Please return my calls, Weiss."_

She pulled the phone from her ear and lay back with a groan. Of course she was going to meet with him, even if she didn't want to. It was the right thing to do. Ren's cautious and calm attitude had always been helpful during stressful times. Especially during the acquisition of the _Atlas Food and Drink Corporation_ into the SDC. That was a hundred and eighty-eight _billion_ lien investment. She had panicked for _weeks_ before the closing date, worried sick that the deal would fall through and the company would be bankrupted. On that day, Ren had been there to guide her through the process _without_ setting fire to her office. Again. His business expertise was far greater than her own, and his calm and collected attitude was the perfect antidote to her aggressive and brash practices. On more than one occasion she had tried to get him to sign as a business partner.

She hung up the phone. The remaining six calls could be dealt with later. She wasn't super interested in dealing with anything stressful at this moment. Her head hurt far too much, her legs were burning, and she felt very sticky for some unknown reason.

She stood, pushing her chair out from the desk. The feet scraped against the floor, making her wince. Her legs felt like they had knives stuck in them. She looked down, making sure that she _hadn't_ stuck actual knives in her legs. Alcohol made her do strange things. She looked around, quickly realizing that not everything seemed to be quite right. The huge office had an odour to it, smelling like a cross between slightly expired milk and aerosol paint. She turned around. The huge painting of the Northern Ecopian Mountain range had fallen to the floor, and had been spray-painted with what looked like sparkly yellow gel. Her mouth fell open, completely at a loss. Spinning back around, she could see that a lot _more_ of her room was in tatters. The long and elegant modern couch had rips in it like it had been attacked, all of the office chairs had been stacked and coated in festive tinsel, and the large round rug that sat in the middle of the room seemed to be missing entirely.

"What the fuck happened in here?!"

She was frozen in place. The office had been destroyed. More accurately, _she_ had destroyed her office. But what had she done? The last few days of memory seemed to be missing. She had nothing. Looking back down at her phone, she jammed her finger into the call button for her assistant.

"Sandy!"

There was a momentary pause.

" _Y-yes, Miss Schnee?"_

"What the hell happened to my office?!"

"... _Perhaps I should come in and explain."_

"And hurry!"

She huffed down at her desk, having to lean over and support herself. Everything was destroyed. After a few moments of loud sirens in her head, the door to her office clicked and swung gently open, and her PA gingerly stepped over the threshold. Weiss stared in her direction, a look of despair evident on her face.

"Miss Schnee, good morning. Are you feeling any better?"

Feel better? From what? As if she could be read like a book, Sandy answered the unasked question.

"The hangover? you've been...inebriated for the past few days."

Right, the hangover. She realized the sirens in her head were in fact one massive, crushing headache. She groaned.

"Oof, no. I'm not okay. Wh-what happened to me? What happened to my office?"

Sandy looked around in awe, seemingly not quite sure where to start. The young woman entered fully, carefully stepping towards the big desk. Her short, light brown hair tied neatly up into a perfect bun, and her smart, grey coloured pant suit fit her well. Not well enough that Weiss wanted to stare, however. Once she was close enough, she spoke again in a soft, quiet voice so as to not propagate her headache. It was a nice touch.

"Well... I... how do I put this lightly..."

"Don't bother. Give it to me straight."

"Okay... you showed up to work on Tuesday, and you seemed a little... drunk. You kept shouting about how you had quit drinking and were 'super proud' of yourself."

Weiss held up a hand.

"Wait, that doesn't make sense. I showed up drunk and then said I had quit drinking? Why can't I remember anything after that?"

"Because you started yelling ' _Celebration shots!'_ and then taking full glasses of vodka down like water."

Weiss gagged on air.

"That's not a shot! Why did you let me do that!?"

"I tried to explain to you that a shot is between one and one and a half ounces, but you refused to listen. And by that I mean you threw a lamp at me."

"Sandy, I'm so sorry..."

"Don't worry ma'am, you missed by a whole time zone. But that's not all."

Weiss slumped back down into her chair, her arms hanging over the sides like wet noodles.

"Of course not. What else did I do?"

Sandy pointed in the direction of the adjoining wall.

"Well first, you decided to spray-paint a direct Valean translation of all of Rammstein's _Du Hast_ on the wall here. I mean, there aren't many lyrics to that song, and somehow it makes absolutely no sense the way you've translated it."

"Oh, god."

And _then..."_

Sandy moved over to the wall, grabbing the huge painting down and spinning it around.

"...on the back of this boat picture-"

"It's not just a _boat picture,_ it's an oil painting of the H.R.M.S _Bastion,_ the pride of the Atlesian naval fleet. No other navy has an aircraft carrier as large or as capable as the _Bastion,_ Sandy. King Arnolf christened that ship live on television, man. I was on stage at that ceremony! _I_ practically launched it."

"...Right, the Bastion, so on the back of the painting of the _Bastion,_ you have done a direct _Atlesian_ translation of the _Valean_ version of Nena's _99 Luftballons_. Which at a glance, you did completely wrong. I didn't know it was possible to misspell 'jet fighters' that badly. In both languages."

Weiss sighed into herself.

"Poo. That was a nice painting."

Sandy paused, looking around nervously.

"...sure, I guess."

With what looked like zero effort at all, Sandy lifted the massive painting back up to the wall, hanging it back on its hook. Weiss was impressed. She knew that Sandy was ex-military, but now she wondered what sort of heat the woman in the slightly ill-fitting suit was packing under all that grey cotton and silk. She shivered.

"So what happened to the couch?"

Sandy smiled bleakly, as if she was trying to pad the truth.

"I don't think you want to know, ma'am. It's... complicated."

"I want to know, Sandy."

"A-alright. You remember that model plane you got for your birthday? With the little gasoline engine that sounds like a weed-whacker?"

Weiss nodded into her hands.

"Yes, the balsawood P-88 SuperContender. That little motor alone was like, three grand. Wait, what do you mean, 'remember'?"

With pursed lips, Sandy stood still, before bending down in front of the large desk. When she came back up, the model aircraft was in her arms. Both of the plane's huge wings were broken off, leaving only the fuselage and tail sections still attached. Weiss gaped at the broken machine.

" _WHAT THE HELL HAPPENED TO MY PLANE_?!"

Another pause from her PA.

"You bungee-chorded it to your desk, and were running it at full tilt to 'feel the wind' as you kept yelling. Naturally the wings snapped off and the thrust pulled the remains across the room and into the couch. You can clearly see what the propeller did to the fabric."

"My poor plane. Ugh, why am I so _stupid?"_

" _That_ is not the stupidest you did all week, by a long shot. N-no offence, ma'am."

They had reached a point where about nothing was going to offend her. She waved it off.

"Don't panic, I'm not going to hurt you. What did I do?"

Sandy stepped away from the desk with an obvious air of nerves.

"Well... you only had a limited supply of alcohol in your office, which only lasted until the middle of Wednesday. A-after that, you decided that you weren't done drinking, and because we were out of _consumable_ booze, you went with the next closest thing."

"I don't like where this is going, Sandy."

She sighed.

"You won't. After breaking into the medical cabinet at my desk, you found the rubbing alcohol."

Weiss choked.

"I _what?!"_

"You decided to do shots with _pure_ rubbing alcohol."

" _WHAT THE FU-"_

"Don't worry, you only had one before I locked you in your office for your own safety. But I can safely say that's not the _stupidest_ thing you did, ma'am."

"What is wrong with me?!"

Sandy pulled one of the tinsel-covered chairs off the pile in the corner and sat down in front of the large desk.

"I should also probably tell you that you ordered seventy-eight quarts of chocolate-hazelnut ice cream despite the fact I told you not to because of your allergies. Then you went over my head by bribing one of the maintenance guys to have it brought up on the window-washing platform, directly to the window."

Weiss chuckled.

"That's smart, though."

"Then you ate six tubs of it. You had a severe reaction to the nuts, ma'am. We had to administer your Epinephrine shot to stop you from suffocating. It was... horrifying."

"At some point in all this you should have called security to come chain me to my desk or something!"

"You threatened the Lieutenant. With a letter opener. That man scares _me_ and you got him to heel like a dog. N-not like a 'dog' because he's a faunus, but more like as a saying, you know? Shit, let me start over-"

Weiss raised her hand.

"It's fine, whatever. He's a big guy, he can take it, right?"

"You _did_ stab him in the leg. I think he sewed himself up with a broken pen and some copper wire, however."

"That's pretty fuckin' metal."

Sandy seemed to hide a laugh.

"Except he didn't have any rubbing alcohol, because I poured it out to stop you drinking it."

"...Smart choice. Man, I am a wreck. You should have just pushed me out of the window, Sandy. I wouldn't have even minded."

There was another pause. Weiss could _feel_ Sandy thinking ' _I would have done it in a heartbeat, too_ ' inside her calculating and sardonic head. She seemed to have decided against it.

"E-except that would leave your next of with an absurd amount of property you just recently purchased, if you died, you know. _DespitehowmuchIwouldenjoyit._ "

Aaaand there it was. Out loud. Weiss sighed. She knew she probably worked the woman too hard, and she knew most of her employees probably resented her, even if they _were_ payed an obscene amount of money. That didn't seem to matter to her PA, however.

"What do you mean 'recently'?"

With another anguished sigh, Sandy pulled a notebook out of her suit jacket, flipping it open to a page somewhere in the middle. She straightened her back, a sly smile forming on her thin, painted lips.

"In the last three days of escapades, you managed to aquire... lets see here... four hundred and six _million_ lien worth of cars, real estate, artwork, and of all things, kitchen equipment. I have it all written down. Receipts, too."

"Why do you seem excited by that?"

"I'm not, I promise."

Weiss wasn't convinced.

"Go on. What did I buy. So I know what to sell. Or keep, I dunno."

"I'll start at the bottom. You bought fifty-five InstaPots, thirteen EasyCook ovens, Forty full sets of titanium cutlery from Ash-Kitchens dot com, one hundred bottles of the cheapest wine on RemNet, one hundred bottles of the _most expensive_ wine on RemNet, and one bottle of propane."

Weiss cringed.

"Holy shit."

"Oh, it gets better. You bought three _Vahn Goe_ paintings, including _Star-filled Night, Crows in Wheatfield,_ and _Portrait of Self_ where he still had the ear. You also bought every single copy of Di Vanchi's engineering drawings from the Mistrailian National Reserve, which to your credit, you had framed under UV-resistant glass so they wouldn't fade, which is nice. You're also the proud owner of Gotelli's _Venice in The Evening."_

"Isn't that painting like thirty feet wide?"

"Yes ma'am, and you had it installed in your house where you blew out the painting of you and your family."

"Right. Forgot about that. Real estate?"

Sandy flipped through the book.

"Right, uh, you own two new summer homes, one in Alta in Mistral, and one in Kage in Vacuo. Down the street from Shade academy, actually. Both designed by the same architect, coincidentally."

"Was that architect Frank Lloyd Wright?"

The woman paused, reading through her notes.

"Yes, actually."

"Not a coincidence, I would have done that on purpose. Anyway, continue."

Sandy looked both amazed and concerned at the same time.

"Uh... so the most expensive thing on the docket was eighteen miles of beach coast in Menagerie, south of Kuo Kuana, where you told me you were going to go ' _skimmy diping',_ repeatedly."

"That's where the Belladonnas live. God, what it wrong with me?"

"A good question, but not important. You then spent a staggering _eight million lien_ on cars which you had shipped here, to the office."

Weiss sat up, a little excited. She still felt like she had no right to be, but she couldn't stop the impending glee."

"Starting off with something rather stupid, a VHI Commander diesel dually longbed, which doesn't even fit in the parking garage, which you said would be used for site inspections despite the fact that you usually get to excavation sites in a limo, why you'd need a big truck I have no idea."

That seemed like one of her more reasonable purchases, actually. Some of the site inspections she had coming up that were in remote locations where her limo couldn't access, so the big brutish diesel truck might actually prove useful in getting her into the mines. Plus the leather wrapped interior would be nice as well.

"Did I at least buy it with a manual?"

Sandy looked displeased.

"Unfortunately for me, yes. That clutch is heavier than it needs to be and parallel parking it was the most stressful thing I have done, especially considering I had to put it between..."

She flipped another page of her book.

"...A brand-new VHI Stormer Grumman and a vintage, original Sanus Stallion 290. That by itself was three hundred grand. You seem to have only purchased muscle cars as well. Nothing with any sort of class."

"Woah slow down there. I'm a fan of the muscle. A... friend of mine showed me that there is no replacement for displacement."

Sandy rolled her eyes so hard they must have come completely disconnected.

"Sure. So you also bought a rather stunning looking Cavallo 338 GT directly from the Cavallo Heritage museum. That particular car only _had_ six hundred kilometres on it."

"Actually that's a pretty sweet car. I always wanted a 338. How much did I pay for it?"

Sandy's tiny sly smile became a full and malicious one.

"Six and a half million lien."

"What the _FUCK!"_

Weiss's heart was now fully in her mouth. What in the hell had possessed her to spend seven figures on a _car?_ Sure, it was a nice car, with a magnificent body beautifully sonorous eight cylinder mounted behind the driver, but it wasn't worth _that_ much. She slid out of her chair, crumpling into a heap under her desk. She curled up, pulling her knees up to her chin. She wanted to catch fire and explode. That would be a fitting end to her at this point, she figured. Sandy came around to her side of the desk, kneeling down and placing a hand on on her shoulder. It didn't comfort her as much as she assumed it would. She tried to curl up tighter.

"I'm a terrible piece of shit, aren't I?"

Sandy rubbed her shoulder a few times. Weiss shivered.

"Hey, don't worry. If it makes you feel any better, you staged a photo shoot with famous Menagerian swimsuit model Antiope Ciane..."

"How would that make me feel better?! I don't even remember it!"

Another pause. Each time Sandy stopped talking, she assumed, or rather _hoped_ that the universe would just disappear and leave her to float endlessly in a void filled with her own thoughts.

"W-well the only pictures you took was of the carpet, the drapes, and then your own face. Which you then faxed to me."

Weiss uncoiled slightly.

"Oh. That's not so bad. I guess."

"Nine hundred and thirty seven times."

She sighed for a full minute, letting her lungs fully deflate and held it like that for as long as she could. She could feel her body burning from the lack of oxygen. It would be nice to just stop being alive at this exact moment. She covered her head with her arms. The light in the room still penetrated her eyelids. Her stomach felt like a lead weight, pulling her insides around.

"I'm a sad excuse for a human being. Why do I exist?"

 _Probably for the amusement of others._

"Oh, fuck off."

"Excuse me, ma'am?"

Weiss sighed.

"Not you, Sandy. I'm sorry."

 _No you aren't._

" _I am._ I'm sorry. I don't know what to do."

Sandy settled down, sitting on her bum and stroking her hair. Weiss sniffled, letting the strong woman comfort her for the moment.

"...There there?"

"I need help."

"Yes, I think you do. So I called the one person who I thought could help you the most."

Weiss sniffed.

"You did?"

"Yes, ma'am. He'll be here in... three minutes."

"He? Did you call Dean? I don't want to see Dean."

Sandy chuckled.

"No, I didn't call him. I thought about it, but I thought this other person might be more beneficial to you in making you stop hating yourself. I hope, anyways."

"Did you call my brother?"

"I did. He told me to call someone else because you were going to see him today anyways."

"Oh yeah. I forgot about that."

Weiss sniffled again. Her whole body hurt. It was like she had been baked in a furnace, immediately dropped in a bucket of cold water, then hit with an enormous hammer. She felt completely and utterly broken.

"Everything hurts."

"That's understandable."

"I treat everyone around me like shit. Ruby left me, I abuse you for profit, I make unreasonable demands of my staff at home. I don't want to do this anymore."

Sandy seemed to be getting a little bit into the rubbing of the short, fluffy white mop of hair. Weiss just let it happen.

"You don't abuse me, Miss Schnee. I think you're a reasonable person. I mean, the last two days notwithstanding, of course. You were mostly alcohol and anger. You told me you had a falling out with your parents at dinner on Tuesday night, or something."

"Yeah, I screamed at my father and told the Duke of Winterschlaf to fuck himself and called his son a snot-nosed brat."

Sandy seemed both shocked and impressed.

"You did... what? Isn't that... high treason?"

Weiss shrugged.

"Eh, whatever. His daughter was super hot, though. Ugh sorry, I forgot, I'm not _allowed_ to think that. It's _disgraceful._ No offence, Sandy. You and your wife are allowed around _my_ house whenever you like. Just don't be there if my father's home."

"It's fine, Miss Schnee. And I've met your father. He's not _that_ bad. He's just a little... old fashioned, is all. I'm sure he still loves you."

"Would you still love _your_ child if they stood against everything you worked to create?"

Sandy sighed, turning around and resting her back against the side of the desk.

"Of course I would. Hypothetically speaking, if I had a kid and I saw they were passionate about something, I would support that. Any parent would do the same. Mister Belladonna still loves _his_ daughter, doesn't he? And wasn't she an _actual_ terrorist or something?"

With a tiny smile, Weiss sighed.

"Blake wasn't a terrorist, but I get your point."

"There, see? Your father isn't a bad person. He still respects you."

"I _highly_ doubt that."

Sandy gave her hair one final ruffle, before standing back up and dusting her lap off.

"Well, you can discuss that with him when he arrives."

Weiss's eyes shot open.

"You _WHAT?!"_

Her body jerked back up into a seated position, her eyes wild. There was no _way_ Sandy had called her father, no way at all. She knew _just_ how much she disliked- no, that wasn't strong enough- how much she _loathed_ her father and his views on his children and most specifically her in particular. Besides, there was no way in _hell_ her father would even make the effort to come all the way out to the offices for a meeting with his fourth favourite offspring.

"Whitley said to do this."

Sandy shrugged. She seemed almost _gleeful._ Weiss understood that she had been a bad boss for the last few days, but Sandy's retaliation was bordering on mutiny. She grimaced. Her brother was equally to blame here, of course. She pulled herself to her feet, leaning over her desk. She didn't _want_ to ever see her father in her office.

 _Knock knock_

"Oh, speak of the devil."

"NO!"

She could do no more than watch as her once-loyal PA strolled over to the office door and slowly pulled it open. Weiss's body felt like it had been frozen in place. There he stood, his moustache immobilized by what looked like eight pounds of specially imported wax. His sharp, well ironed suit was... wait, there was no suit. His usual white-on-white-on-white suit was gone, replaced by a more sedate, and _wrinkled_ grey sweater and plain-looking semi-dressy pants. His usually slicked back grey hair had been left unkempt. He held in his hands an unassuming black binder, which he seemed to be holding closer to himself than a normal person might.

"I'll leave you two to... talk things out."

With that, Sandy left, pulling the door closed behind her. Weiss flinched as the latch clicked. The room fell silent again, the mid-morning light falling into the room at a harsh angle. It made her father's face look apologetic. And that alone made Weiss wary. Something was very much wrong with this situation. He opened his mouth to speak, making her whole body tense as if it was reacting to spoiled food.

"Weiss... my darling..."

She twitched. _Nobody_ called her 'my darling', not even Klein. It sounded so bottled and insincere. And he was _smiling._ It looked like he had been possessed. He seemed overly cautious as he moved forward to the edge of the desk. He turned the binder over in his hands a few times, looking down at it longingly.

"Wh...why are you here?"

He sighed, drooping his shoulders like they were made of cement.

"I was informed that you needed my help-"

"Well, I don't need _your_ help."

He paused, unsure. Weiss wasn't sure what was more disconcerting, the fact that he looked genuinely worried, or the fact that he seemed to have been awake for the past few days.

"I feared you might say that. I know you don't want to see me, but I realized that _I_ needed to come. I... know how you are feeling."

Her face _burned._

"Wha- _fuck you,_ no you don't! You have _no_ idea how I'm feeling!"

"Weiss, please. Let me explain."

"No! Get out of my office!"

He didn't. Instead, he sat down slowly at the chair Sandy had left in front of the desk. Gingerly, he placed the binder on the desk and opened it to the first page. He looked at it for a second, a tiny smile coming to his face, before slowly turning it around and sliding it across the desk to her.

"Have a look at this."

She looked down at the open page. She had assumed the binder had been full of documents of some variety, but this was not the case. Weiss gasped. It was a photo album. She stared. She had never seen any of these pictures in her life. She almost didn't believe that they were real. Almost.

"Wh...what is this?"

She shivered. Her father sighed into himself as she slipped into her chair on her side of the grand oak desk. The first picture in the book depicted a man, in his mid twenties, holding a small infant in his hands. The man had no facial hair, so it took Weiss a moment to recognize him as her father. And he looked so _scared,_ but at the same time completely overjoyed by the child that he had been gently holding in his arms. He wasn't even wearing his signature suit in this picture either, favouring a wrinkled and tired looking t-shirt.

"That is you, Weiss. On the day you were born. Valentine's day, ninety-two. The greatest day of my life."

Weiss was at a loss. The next picture showed the infant, with tiny whisps of white hair, in a tiny bassinet, asleep. A seven-year-old version of her sister was there, and she was looking over the edge of the bassinet at the infant. She had the biggest smile she had _ever_ seen her sister make on her face. She couldn't describe the feeling in her chest. But it _hurt._

"I understand what you think of me, Weiss. That you hate me. I understand that your brother and sister hate me as well. And I know there isn't much I can do about that. I wasn't the greatest father, I know. But I did my best with the situation I was given. You do know I was only twenty-one when Winter was born, right?"

Yes, she knew Winter was not planned, an accident that had come from a passionate... _encounter_ between her parents at a college party. They had only been friends at the time, but alcohol had had an enormous influence in _that_ decision making process. Weiss cringed internally, not wanting to think about it.

"Well, her father didn't like me after that, as is understandable. Compared to her, I was a nobody. But I loved your mother very much at the time. After the wedding, and after realizing that perhaps we were supposed to be together, your grandfather warmed up to me quite a bit, promising me the company if I could prove myself as a good person and good husband."

She wanted to scream. Cover her ears. Scream at the top of her lungs. Start throwing furniture. It was just a preposterous notion that he could ever be capable of being a decent human being.

"... And apparently, I _was_ good enough eventually. I managed to raise Winter by myself while your mother finished her nursing degree, and we became a... real family. Even if we were a little young."

By comparison, they weren't _that_ young to have started having children. Yang's mother was only eighteen, and Summer had only been twenty. So it wasn't unheard of in her circle of friends.

"After that, we realized we wanted more. More children to share our love wit-"

"Oh, bull _shit,_ you don't love us! You despise the very _idea_ of us, father! We only exist to prove you could... ' _get with'_ a Schnee, just like _every_ guy who used to hit on me at school!"

"My darling, you know that's not true. I _do_ love the three of you. Without question."

Weiss sniffed loudly. Her face felt like it was about thirty seconds from becoming Century Falls, or at least _one_ eye like it. She didn't believe him. But she couldn't quell the _doubt_ that stirred.

"Wh-what proof do you have? Huh? Th-there's no way..."

He simply gestured to the photo album again.

"Turn the page."

She complied. The next series of photographs looked like they had been taken with a particular theme in mind. The first one was of what looked like her second or third birthday. She was there in the picture, in a tiny, frilly purple skirt and child-sized bolero that she had apparently spilled apple juice on. Taking up the centre of the picture and child-her's attention was a bright pink tricycle, complete with a little weaved basket and tassels. Little Weiss had the widest and happiest smile she had ever seen. She gasped silently. She didn't remember this. But that was to be expected, as it was actually twenty-two years ago.

"..."

Her mouth hung open, unable to summon the courage to say anything. The picture next to it seemed to be very similar. She seemed a little older, but not very. She was sitting on her father's knee, the man still in his suit from a long day of work, so it appeared. In front of the two of them was a bicycle, painted the same shade of pink her tricycle had been, complete with little training wheels and a _massive_ bell on the left handlebar. The next picture was a little blurry, as if whoever was holding the camera was trying to run with it, but nevertheless it captured a very determined-looking toddler-aged Weiss riding her bicycle with the stabilizers removed, being supported by her father's hands under her seat.

"I...I don't..."

At her own behest, she kept going. The next picture showed a tearful little Weiss with a big scrape on her knee, having torn through her pants after falling from her bike. Her father, once again, had her propped up on his knee, and he had a cotton pad in his hand that was stained red. The picture after was of her again on the bike, this time with a bandage wrapped around her knee, and this time she was well ahead of her father who was running along behind her. She turned the page again.

"Hah..."

There was her as a small child, with a tiny plastic guitar strapped around her torso, and her father, stood behind her, with a full size _Dual-Sonic_ electric guitar strapped over his shoulder. They both had those tacky shutter-shades on, doing their best Mick Jagger faces at the camera. A tear hit the plastic page.

"But... but... you _hated_ me playing guitar... this can't be real!"

"It is real."

"But... you _made_ me take classical lessons! Wh-"

He interjected with a tiny defensive smile.

"That's because your mother likes classical guitar. And... after she... well, I'm sure you remember..."

"Remember what?! That she became a sloppy, unresponsive _drunk_ because of you?!"

He winced. And for a reason she had no explanation for, she felt _regret._ She _had_ meant to lash out. She _had_ meant to insult. So why did she feel _bad?_

"Not because of me, Weiss. Do you remember when your grandfather passed away?"

She sniffed back the tears, nodding ever so slightly.

"Well... the last words he ever spoke were to her, and what he said made her that way. He said... he said 'you'..."

He trailed off momentarily, sighing down at his feet. With a shake of his head, he continued. He looked to be in pain.

"... he said 'you disappoint me'. Those were his last words, to his daughter. After that she sort of just... broke. I haven't been able to get her back, Weiss. Your mother is all but gone from me. And that made me act poorly. I became... bitter. Angry."

He shook his head again. Weiss didn't realize that she had stopped breathing. She took a gasp of air, her lungs shuddering.

"I took it out on my children, on my company, on my peers. But the latter means very little. I treated you and your siblings unfairly, and I know that. I know I was a terrible father, but you must understand that it was because I was... well, no that's not fair to say. I acted unfairly to the three of you because I thought I had lost the woman I loved."

He went quiet. Weiss's chest heaved. She _ached._ It hurt so much.

"I just..."

"...Why?"

He looked back up at her, his eyes a pinky-red from restrained tears. She could feel it in her whole body now. Shame. Horrible, terrible shame. But she had to know. She had to know _why._

"Why did you shame us for being who we are?"

"I didn't. I always loved you for who you are, don't be ridiculous."

"But... you took Winter's inheritance away because... because she started dating Qrow Branwen..."

"You misunderstand. I didn't take away her inheritance because of that. I passed it over to you because I know you would better run the company. Winter agreed that she would not have been able to do what you did. She's a better soldier than she is a business woman. I knew you'd be able to rescue the company from a broken man. Sure, I get a little defensive when that... particular huntsman is mentioned, but that's to be expected. She's still my little girl in my head, and I don't want anyone to hurt her."

Her eye twitched. That made... sense, she figured. She didn't _want_ to understand.

"And your brother... yes, it's true that I don't particularly like his girlfriend. That's more because he decided to associate with a girl who bullies him into doing what she wants. I know they're still together behind my back. Do you know how she treats him? Like a dog, Weiss. That woman is toxic."

She hadn't know. She collapsed into her chair. Whitley _had_ been coming home more and more dejected recently, seeming to be emotionally drained. She didn't know they were still together, this much was news to her. He also had started using 'dear sister' to address her, which she was starting to realize was reserved for times of stress. The other night, for example, when he had arrived home and helped her sober up, he had been wearing his date-night swest, which had smelled less like his cologne and more like salt.

"That...still doesn't... but..."

"I know that what you're hearing must sound unbelievable, but it's true. I love you all very much, Weiss. It has just been very difficult for me to express it in the traditional sen-"

"But you used to shame me for being... being gay! You _hated_ me! For what I was. For who I _am,_ father! You said I couldn't cut my hair short, you said I couldn't get my nose pierced, you said I was a disgrace to my family name because of who I wanted to be in my life! And now you have the audacity to tell me you _cared?"_

He stood from his chair. _Stood,_ and turned towards the large window of the office. The damaged and broken man said nothing as he looked out the window. He sighed, placing one hand against the glass to support himself.

"Do you know _why_ I 'bring you suitors' as you call it?"

"Because you're a homophobic asshole who wants to have another man in command of this company?"

He scoffed. _Scoffed!_

"Goodness, no. What you've done with the company is nothing short of revolutionary, my darling. Why would I _ever_ want you to give it away? You've taken a corrupt, law-breaking, failing company and turned it into the single most profitable entity on the planet. There's not another _person_ , male or female that I'd entrust it to."

"Then why."

"Because I'm afraid you will turn out like me. Bitter and alone. I _know_ you're gay, darling, and I know that you have chosen that sweet little soldier from your team at Beacon-"

" _Ruby_. Her name is Ruby."

"Yes. Ruby. I know you love her _more_ than just as friends. But I also know that she is a very damaged and depressed individual. She's had a lot of hardships, and they are very likely to cause her to self destruct. And I know that would cause _you_ to self destruct as well, and I don't want to see you get hurt."

He paused to look over at her. She tried her hardest to glare at him, but she found herself unable. She was just too _hurt._

"The other night. At dinner. I had invited the Duke over because I had a... bad reaction to your drinking and damaging of the house. But I'll admit, Maxim wasn't the person I had actually invited for you... Anastasia on the other hand... I only introduced her to Whitley because her parents _are_ as homophobic as you perceive me to be. But... that's not something I could ever convince you of. I'm sorry."

"Why are you doing this?"

"Because I know what it's like to lose the woman you love. I found these pictures a while ago, and I thought it could help me connect with you. Because I knew you wouldn't believe me. You're my daughter, and I love you. I want to help you."

The pounding of her brain was immensely loud. It was just _too_ unbelievable. But he had _proof._ Hard, immutable, unquestionable proof in the form of this photo album. It was too much. She wasn't ready for him to care. She wasn't ready for him to help.

 _It's not real! He's not real!_

He couldn't be! But the doubt in her mind was too much. She stood, her vision a haze of red. She had to leave, and she had to leave _now._ Without another word, she stomped towards the door, not even looking at her father as she did. She raised a hand, a loose glyph spinning into existence on the office door. With a twist of her wrist, the glyph exploded, blowing the door open and pulling the latch clear out of the frame.

With a cry, she stole out of the room, breaking into a light run towards the elevator. As she did, she swore she heard him let out a sigh of relief, but she wasn't going to go back and find out. A few of her higher-up employees were having an impromptu meeting in the hallway, next to one of the _real_ office plants. She pushed through them, not hard enough to knock anyone over, but enough to get them out of the way. If they called after her, she hadn't heard. As she barged into the open elevator door and hit the button for the lobby, she let the cry out. The door closed softly behind her with a quiet ring of the bell.

" _Arrrgh!"_

 _I told you!_

She slammed her fist into the wall of the little elevator cell. The pain shot up her arm like an electric current, emanating from the injury she had given herself the other day. She screamed again.

 _There's no way any of that was real._

"But it was... I was there... right?"

 _Well..._

There was that doubt again. Consuming her. She _had_ to trust him. She just didn't _want_ to trust him. He had been the ruthless patriarch of the Schnee name. But now she knew _why,_ and it _hurt_ to imagine that all of her resentment had been misplaced. She hadn't even trusted the man who had raised her by _himself._ She felt like a villain. Like a horrible human being.

 _But you_ are _a horrible human being. You thought it was about the money._

"Fuck _off."_

 _It's always about the money._

The elevator stopped suddenly at the lobby. She didn't give the door time to open, hooking her fingers in the gap between the stainless panels. With a cry, she pulled the doors apart, bending steel and snapping bolts as the elevator doors were actually ripped from their tracks. The coalition of people in the lobby mulling around went silent, all looking in her direction. She stared back, and the majority of them dropped there eyes to the floor, like _good_ underlings, she thought. She stormed forward, crossing the vast lobby in a few glyph-enhanced steps. The massive glass doors that led to the building's front garden shattered into a million crystalline shards as she crashed into and then through it.

 _There you go again._

 _Why are you like this?_

She growled, breaking into a run. The little alcove where delivery drivers would pull up to and drop packages off to the front desk was currently blocked off, filled to capacity with the small _fleet_ of vehicles she had purchased in her drunken stupor. Approaching the alcove, she could see the massive black truck that towered over the other, smaller sporty cars. Knowing her PA, the keys were in all of them, tucked up in the sun visor.

"I'll take this, thanks."

The huge truck matched her attitude, she figured. Eight-and-a-half feet wide at the mirrors, _twenty two feet_ long front to back, and painted all black with every piece of chrome trim polished within an inch of its life. She powered up to it and pulled the heavy drivers door open, stepping up into the leather-lined cabin and slamming herself into the seat. She went to push the clutch down, but her pencil skirt tugged her legs together and didn't let her operate the truck's wide-set pedals.

"Fuckin..."

She hoisted her butt from the seat and pulled the hem of the tight-fighting pastel blue skirt up to her hips, giving her enough room to move properly. Her left leg finally free, she matted the clutch and stabbed her finger into the start button up on the console. The huge diesel motor turned a few times before lighting off. Some time in the last three days someone, likely Sandy, had moved the big truck to the front of the line of cars, meaning there was nothing in front of her. With an angry glare down the road, she slammed the meter-long transmission lever into second gear, revved the huge engine up to the redline, and dumped the clutch. All four of the truck's huge rear tires lit off, shunting the heavy-duty vehicle forward and into traffic, leaving four thick, smoking black streaks in its wake.

/.../

She had been _flying_ down the freeway, each one of the truck's massive six cylinders flinging around at probably too high a speed, holding the truck against the electronic limiter. Slower cars were quick to get out of her way as the massive _nine thousand_ pound truck soared down the road, its turbo whistling loudly into the cabin. She muscled her way to the off-ramp, cutting off someone in a boring Sanus hatchback. Not that they were going to argue with a vehicle that weighed three times as much.

She slammed on the brakes as the truck reached the top of the ramp, nearly sliding fully sideways on the slippery pavement. She didn't like that the city council chose to plow this end of the city _last._ She also apparently had bought this particular truck _without_ winter tires. With another violent abuse of the skinny pedal, she pulled into the industrial district of town. The motor howled as a literal mountain of torque tried to move the continent under her wheels. She muscled the big vehicle around the slow traffic, weaving in and out of a few cars and delivery vans that her truck managed to make insignificant in size. This really was the vehicle that epitomized 'mine is bigger than yours'.

Turning onto a side street, she powered forward towards the cul de sac at the end of the street. Her left leg was fairly worn out from the sadistically heavy clutch pedal, but she ignored the sting, forcing the brand-new truck down the road, towards the huge and well-lit sign, reading _Atlas AG Performance._ She smiled. The last two and a half hours of driving had been miserable, this was the first thing that had made the trip worth it. Again, she slammed on the no pedal, sliding to a stop on the street, before turning into the parking lot. She pulled up to the big garage door in the front, passed the collection of half-finished racecars and supercars wearing protective blankets. She paused, sitting idle for a moment. She could hear the truck's electric fans whirring to try and cool down the taxed motor.

As she inched forward, the big garage door opened automatically. The building was well lit, the fluorescent lights beaming brightly and reflecting off the piano-black paintwork and polished chrome of the big truck. Once she was in, the door came down with a slam, barely missing the rear bumper. Everyone in the shop stopped working to look over as she turned the big motor off. One man in particular seemed more than happy to see the big truck. Or, one _boy_ in particular. He skipped over, _actually skipped,_ and pulled the heavy door open for her.

"Sister! Wait, sorry, you hate that. Weiss!"

Her expression broke from it's seemingly constant dreary attitude. She took his hand and let him guide her out of the large vehicle. The air in the shop was a balmy twenty-two degrees, unlike the cold winter air from where she had come. As discreetly as she could, she pulled the hem of her skirt back down her legs. If Whitley had noticed, he didn't say anything, choosing instead to beam down at her. Well, _down_ was relative. He really only stood four inches taller, making him short for a guy but tall for a Schnee. Winter still towered over the both of them. Somehow she had gotten the height _and_ the body, leaving Weiss and Whitley to split the brains, as they always used to joke. But today was no time for jokes.

"Hello, Whitley."

He paused, his smile fading.

"What's the matter? Something wrong?"

She sighed. Yes, many things were wrong. _All_ the things were wrong. Her entire universe had just been torn down and proved to be completely and utterly a lie. But she didn't have time to get into that with him today. It was Friday, and that was when he had said she should come by his shop. Instead of fretting out loud, she simply fell against his shoulder, deflating and putting her arms around his back.

"Okay, something is definitely the matter. You embracing me is both weird _and_ concerning. You never do this, so it must be big. And you didn't even do this after your friend..."

She squeezed harder, manually pushing the air out of Whitley's lungs.

"Just shut up and hug me. Shitley."

He seemed hesitant for a moment, before finally giving in and reciprocating. He gave his best effort at rubbing her back in an attempt to calm her. It did a little, she had to admit. Today had just been a shitshow. She wanted just an uninterrupted stream of alcohol, video games, and animal crackers right now, but she settled for a semi-awkward sibling hug instead. It would do for now. Her and alcohol were going through a rough patch. Whitley's coveralls smelled like a mix of paint and spray lube. It helped her relax. Her garage at home smelled the same way most of the time. She sniffed into the thick fabric, wiping her nose on his breast pocket as she finally let go and took a step back.

"I have _not_ had a good week, Whit."

"Yeah, I sorta figured as much when you didn't come home for three days. I tried to call your office, but you ignored me every time. I went to the office on Wednesday, but apparently you were out or something. Your PA wasn't there, either."

She waved it off.

"Don't even ask what happened, I literally was too drunk to remember."

"You need to quit drinking."

"I know, Whitley. I just..."

She paused, unsure of herself. Her hand idly came up and brushed some of her messy bangs out of her face. The only advantage of the new short hair look she was going for was that she didn't use as much shampoo. She had also realized that she short and fluffy look did _not_ match her face. She looked, in her opinion, like she was five again. Speaking of...

"Father came by the office today."

Whitley's face scrunched up, his eyebrows wrinkling and his lips pursing. He seemed to hesitate on his response, like he was planning his thoughts carefully.

"I see."

She rubbed her good eye on the sleeve of her blazer.

"Yeah. He showed me some... pictures."

Another pause.

"And what did you think?"

"I don't know, Whitley. I don't know what to think anymore. I feel like I'm wrong."

"What about?"

"No, just _wrong._ Like everything I _am_ is wrong."

He nodded, fiddling with a loose string on his his cuff.

"I know what you mean."

"You do?"

"For much longer than you think."

Weiss sniffled.

"I need help, Whitley."

"That's what we're here for."

With another dramatic sigh, she turned slightly and leaned against the black paintwork of the big truck. They stood in silence for what felt like many eternities, but was probably no more than thirty seconds or so. She enjoyed it for a bit longer, until her brother, probably not comfortable with her miserableness, decided to break the silence.

"Nice truck."

She subconsciously smiled at the comment.

"Thanks. It's brand new."

"I can see that. You didn't even peel the plastic off the grill yet."

A chuckle.

"Yeah, I wanted to drive it. It's a nice commuter car, really."

"Commuter? Weiss, this thing could pull the _moon_ out of orbit. This is _not_ a commuter. Also, why did you buy it in black? None of your cars are black."

"I dunno, I was drunk at the time. Probably that."

He smiled, shrugging and crossing his arms.

"I'll have to say, then. Drunk you has impeccable taste because this thing looks fuckin' cool."

It must have. Whitley didn't normally swear at matters so trivial, so she trusted his judgment. Now that she had a moment to actually step back and look at it instead of focusing on not running over small apartment buildings, she could see that indeed, it was fuckin' cool looking.

"Speaking of. Come with me. I have something to show you."

He turned around and marched off, beckoning her to follow as he did. She complied, tentatively following him into the big garage. The floors squeaked as she walked on them. Or perhaps it was the leather of her boots. Whatever it was, it made all of his mechanics look over and watch her go. She had met the rag-tag crew of guys in the past, giving them a little wave as she followed her excited brother across the floor.

"Good to see you, Miss Weiss!"

She smiled back.

"Good to see you guys too, Peanut, Axle, and Hammer."

They went back to work quickly, all of them elbow-deep in the engine bay of some mid-engined race car, missing most of its bodywork. She skipped forward, catching up to her brother and whispering to him.

"Why is he called Hammer, again?"

Whitley laughed, coming to a stop and unlocking another large garage door that led into the adjoining set of bays.

"Because one day we were trying to get a new prototype car to accept a new hybrid drivetrain, but the new motor and trans wouldn't fit between the original aluminum motor mounts. So instead of doing the rational thing, like removing the brackets and re-machining them, he grabbed the biggest hammer he could find and just went to _town_ on them."

"Geez."

"Yeah, and he's a machinist by trade. So we call him Hammer now."

"But did the motor fit?"

Whitley laughed again, hoisting the big door up so they could walk through.

"Oh, like a glove. We even went and raced the car on the international circuit for one season with those mounts still in the car. Never broke once. This _was_ the big Klasse-R _E-Hybrid_ car, though, and we had already perfected the drivetrain for street use, so of course it was bulletproof on the track."

She chuckled up at him, following him into the dimly lit side garage. The lights came on automatically as they entered, revealing a collection of blanket-covered cars with one large brick-like one in the centre of the room.

"You know, I was gonna buy one of those, but then I went with the 7 GT-Spec instead. More comfortable seats, I thought."

"Eh, you're not missing much between the two. The 7 is the more versatile car, anyways."

"Yeah, I don't need a two-hundred kilowatt electric motor powering my super car that's only good for an extra two or three miles per gallon."

Whitley laughed again, slapping his hand onto his chest.

"You know Weiss, it's nice to have a sibling who understands cars to even a small degree. It's refreshing to know I'm not the _only_ lunatic."

"You're not a lunatic, Whit. You found a job doing what you love. Being a nerd about cars. If only I could do the same."

"Trust me, I'm a lunatic. And didn't you say you wanted to get into making cars at the SDC?"

"Pfft, yeah a long time ago. Competition is just too stiff for me to think about that. Besides, we're an energy conglomerate, not a car company. Who would by an SDC-branded car?"

Whitley spun around on the spot.

"Yeah, but you make tractors and other commercial equipment. Why wouldn't they buy a car? You're a household name, like the Johnson Wax company or PLG Soda."

"Whitley, I own both of those companies."

"Oh. Right. Well, you get my point."

She nodded with a smile.

"I understood."

After an awkward second, Whitey turned with a dramatic leap, and grabbed the fabric cover that was draped over the large square shape in the middle of the room.

" _Anyway,_ without further ado..."

He yanked with all his might.

"...Behold! The VHI Blaze-Charger!"

The sheet fell to the floor. Suffice to say she was _not_ expecting what she saw. The big two-door SUV gleamed back at her in the white light of the room. The magnificent burgundy paintwork had a mirror-like shine to it, and the huge, wide chrome grille _was_ a mirror to her, reflecting her and her brother. Even the little trim around the windows was perfect. The truck had not a _spec_ of rust or any sort of physical blemish. It sat on polished black off-road tires, each one sitting on rubber mats so as to not get scuffed and dirty from the shop floor. The white lettering on the tires was perfect, as if they had been re-painted not minutes before she arrived. It was eerie how perfect it was.

"Holy... shit..."

"Damn right. It was in pretty rough shape when we got it. This here's the product of three continuous days of work. We got the guys from the aerodynamics department to come in and do sandblasting and vacuum lines, so that saved _us_ the trouble. Climb on in!"

She didn't want to. The truck was _too_ perfect looking. It intimidated her with the big brush guard, heavy-duty winch hooks, and massive auxiliary lights. She moved very slowly around to the driver's side. Even the little triangular smoker's windows were set perfectly in their frames, a known problem with this particular year of truck. She shivered.

"...Something the matter?"

"No, no, I just..."

She reached out and grabbed the handle. With barely any effort at all, the door unlatched and swung silently open. Like it was _new._ It felt wrong. It was supposed to squeak and groan as it opened, not comply! Her eye twitched. With one foot on the sill, she hoisted herself up into the lifted vehicle, settling down onto the thick and squishy red cloth bench seat. She kicked off her boots and left them on the floor of the shop, shutting the driver's door with a heavy clunk. Whitley was quick to circle around and hop into the passenger seat, shutting his own door as well. The cabin was silent, well isolated from the hum of the shop. Weiss sniffled.

"This feels wrong."

"Wrong? What do you mean?"

"Like... it... I don't know how to describe it."

She reached down to the key on the console, polished just as well as any other piece on the car and turned. The big motor cranked once before lighting off, settling immediately down to idle, rumbling menacingly under the long, flat hood. She gave the accelerator pedal a few stabs, letting the big block motor spin effortlessly up, roaring as it tried to turn the reinforced frame into a pretzel. She shook her head.

"See, even that feels wrong. It was too... easy."

Whitley scoffed from his place on the other end of the wide seat.

"Of course it was. I didn't spend three days meticulously rebuilding this ancient engine piece by piece for it to _not_ work. That huge four-fifty makes a healthy four-hundred horsepower, and it's got the capability to _easily_ double that number-"

"But that's not the _point._ "

"Then what is, Weiss? This truck was a lot of work to build in, need I remind you, _only three days."_

"And I understand that. Thank you, Whitley. Your efforts are greatly appreciated. The truck is perfect and exactly what I asked for. But I... ugh, why is it so _hard._ Look..."

She turned the key back, shutting the leviathan engine off. She sat back in the seat, slumping down. The floor, she noticed, still had the plastic covering on the carpet so dirt and grime from the mechanics' work boots didn't sully the soft fabric.

"That truck _was_ the road trip, you know? It had... issues. It smelled like gasoline, sugar, and spilled PLG. It had a high idle problem and a weak starter. It had _life_ in it. It had... _love_ in it. It was... I don't know, it felt like it was real."

"Well... I understand, I think. But I can't simulate forty years worth of run-in in three days."

"No, it's... fine. I do like what you've done here. It's nice to see what a new version of this truck might look like brand new. But I feel wrong just being in here. It's like a simulation, you're right. And it makes me feel dirty."

He seem to have understood, going silent. The big comfortable truck was not at all like the original model, but in every way exactly the same. She both loved it and hated it at the same time, because it represented exactly what she wanted in life without actually getting it. It honestly felt like, in terms of food, like eating a pie made by a professional chef who had used her deceased grandmother's recipe. It was amazing, but wrong. Because it had no flaws at all, to her, it was flawed.

Something was clawing at her inside. A want. A _need._ This truck had only filled a small portion of her gaping and empty heart. But in filling that small portion, it had opened the black hole even wider. Now the want was _worse._

"There's something else..."

"Hmm?"

"How good are you at finding cars for sale?"

"...uh, very. Why?"

There was one more. Not even a six _million_ lien vintage supercar was right for this.

"There's something else I nee- want."

Another car. Another _stupid_ car. Something Ruby had mentioned once. _Once!_

"Okay, sure."

"Do you remember what Ruby's first car was?"

"I didn't go to school with you guys."

"But you know."

"Yeah, yeah. A Hunter RRS sedan. You sent me pictures of it. Five years ago. But yes, I remember."

She sighed, sliding down the seat.

"Well... could you get me one? A six cylinder, specially?"

"You want a second hand Hunter family car from the eighties?"

"She mentioned seeing one once that apparently out handled and out accelerated supercars and sounded like a sports bike. Said she saw it while on vacation in Mistral, or something. I want that car."

Whitley paused, concerned. He pulled out his Scroll from his coveralls, and began flipping through his contacts or something, clearly looking for someone. Weiss looked away, out the side window of the big facsimile. Every time she opened her mouth she said something that hurt her more. Whitley reached over and tapped her on the shoulder to grab her attention again. He seemed to be fixated on one person in particular on his phone. His mouth twitched in a tiny smile than anyone else wouldn't have noticed.

"She didn't happen to mention what colour that car was, did she?"

Weiss sniffed.

"Dark green. Why?"

He smirked.

"I know the owner. And I know the car's for sale."

Her eyebrows went up.

"You know the owner of that _exact_ car?"

"Yes I do. She used to race for your pal Sun's racing team. She was their star driver. We called her ' _La Voleuse',_ which in Valean means ' _The Thief'._ She was a very patient driver. She'd get up right behind you, and not budge off your bumper for the whole race, never once risking an overtake. It would make drivers nervous and push too hard. When they screwed up, and that's _when_ not _if,_ she'd fly by and leave them in the dust. A real genius behind the wheel."

"You keep using past tense. What do you mean _was?"_

His face twitched, like he didn't want to remember.

"There was an... incident on the track a few years ago. She stopped racing, I lost my number one rival, and now the car's up for sale. I only ever saw it run once, but I can assure you it's _the_ car your friend remembers. It made one of my prototypes look like a milk float, it was so fast. It's the real deal."

"So how do I get it?"

"Simple. You go see her, as you would any vehicle purchase. She's a psychiatrist now, or something like that, lives in Mistral. It's a fair drive out to where she lives, mind."

She squinted over at her brother. Surely he didn't mean what she thought.

"You want me to see a shrink? Whitley, I said I wanted help, I mean from you as a family member."

He sighed, dejectedly. He reached for the door handle, pushing his door silently open and stepping out. Weiss followed suit, meeting him around the front of the huge red brick. He looked down at her, and placed one hand on her shoulder.

"I want you to go buy the car, Weiss. Besides, I think the two of you have a few things in common. You might even learn something. But hey. What do I know, right? I'm just your mechanic brother."

She smiled back up at him. He really _did_ want to help her. He handed her his scroll, giving over the name and number of this driver, who happened to be selling the exact car she wanted, coincidentally. It really _was_ a small world, she thought.

"Thank you, Whitley. For everything."

Another smile. He slung one arm over her shoulders and tugged her against his side.

"Ain't no thing."

She gave him a contented smile, amused with his use of an old family joke they and their cousins shared. She humoured him, if only to make herself smile a little.

"Chicken wing."

He let go, turning away from her and making his way back over to the main garage room. Just before he reached the door again, he turned.

"Thanks for coming by, Weiss. It's nice to see you every so often. Enjoy your truck."

"Thank you. I will."

With that, he turned away and rounded the corner out of sight. She sighed, realizing now she had _two_ huge VHI trucks to corral back to the house. Not that it would be an issue, she now owned a truck with the pulling power of most solar systems. She had a plan now. She would go see this racer-turned-psychiatrist, and try to figure out how to fix herself. Maybe this wasn't such a bad idea. Maybe just getting out of the country would be a good enough fix. Maybe.

The side area of the garage went quiet again, and she could _swear_ she heard her brother mumble something under his breath as he disappeared deeper into his shop.

" _All according to plan."_


	30. Chapter 30: Running

Chapter 67

Ruby always thought she was a good driver, but now she had realized that maybe, just _maybe,_ Yang might be better. The whole drive into town had been otherwise uneventful, the huge Chevron station wagon absorbing every bump and blemish on the road, turning the rough country highway into a smooth, mattress-like ride. The soft cloth seats were like sitting in a lounger made of pillows as well. However, the comfort and smoothness provided by the car were not the most impressive things about this particular journey.

That honour went to Yang's parking ability.

The Chevron Crusader was a big car. A _substantially_ huge car. At an astonishing five and a half meters in length, it _dwarfed_ Yang's little Atlas Syncro. Parking this beast of a car was a royal chore most of the time. It was too long for most regular parking spaces, and too wide to fit between the lines in most underground garages. But here, in the very middle of the village of patch, Yang and done them one better. She had found a place to _parallel park_ the leviathan land yacht.

Ruby knew how to parallel park, of course, as it was required to be mastered to get a driver's license where they lived. But doing it in a vehicle that was a full meter _longer_ than her own truck was a feat of pure skill, apparently only possessed by her sister. With the same sort of grace and ease that she had simply driving in a straight line, she had threaded the barge-like automobile into a spot right out front of the bar they were going to, right between two very expensive customized lifted trucks. The funny thing was, the Crusader was just about as long as the two full-size trucks.

Ruby was quite impressed as she stepped out of the low, comfortable car. Somehow, against all laws of size and reality, she had parked the car with mere inches to spare on each side, almost as if she had bent the very fabric of space time to get the very round Crusader into the very square hole.

"Oy, Ru-ster. You coming?"

Her attention was grabbed away from gawking at the feat of driving miracles and over to her sister, who was beckoning her over to the front of the little unassuming bar. Ruby gave the perfect parking job one last jealous glance, before skipping up the sidewalk to her sister. Yang, in some strike of compassion for her sister, had gone closet-diving and found a very appropriate bright yellow and strapless dress that she could put on and not have to struggle with the leather straps that were currently holding her right arm to her body. Over top of that, she had thrown their dad's black leather riding jacket he had been hiding away for a sunny day. With the big yellow bow on the dress and the polished nickel buttons on the jacket, Ruby could certainly agree that her sister looked like the most baddest of asses.

"Yeah, yeah, gimme a moment. You have longer legs than me, remember?"

"Coming from the girl who's semblance is _literally_ running really fast. Hurry your bum."

"My bum moves at exactly the speed it wants, thank you."

Yang chuckled, her bright smile shining like the actual sun in the early-evening dim. Ruby had kept the flowery dress had given her than morning, though she _had_ run it through the wash to clean the mud off of it. Their dad was right, dresses shouldn't be worn for farm work. They just drag on the ground and get in the way, anyways. Having Yang catch her in her underwear in the laundry room had been unpleasant though, and had resulted in the loudest and shriekiest of shrieks. She was fairly certain that the neighbouring kingdoms had heard her. The rocks on the _moon_ had probably heard. She knew know that she'd have to lock the door of _every_ room she went in, lest she be interrupted.

"The slowness of your bum is matched only by the slowness of your driving, Ru."

"Maybe _you_ drive too fast. Besides, it's called the speed _limit,_ not the speed _suggestion._ It's a law, and I _follow_ the law, like a good girl."

"You? A good girl? Psh, don't make me laugh."

"Yang, I once measured two slices of cake to make sure you got the bigger half. Which was bigger by three grams. I think I'm a good girl."

"Alright, alright, you win."

"I sort my shirts by shade of cream on the buttons, then by width of collar, then by number of sleeves."

"Alright, I get it!"

"I always pay off my credit card on the same day. Even if it's over five-hundred lien!"

"Holy hell, what are you, some kind of millionaire? Jeez, you madwoman."

Ruby laughed, poking her elbow into her sister's side, making the taller woman squawk. They had finally made it up to the front door of the particular establishment Yang had chosen for them to have dinner in. The otherwise dull-looking grey brick building had only one faded red door and a little sign hanging that was in the vague shape of a mug of beer. If Ruby didn't trust her sister to make good choice, she'd have said this place was pretty sketch. _Incredibly_ sketchy, actually. What sort of restaurant didn't even have have _windows?_

Yang pulled the door to the small hole-in-the-wall, and the smell of alcohol drifted out and into her. It felt like she had already had three pints by the time she crossed the threshold and entered the little bar. The inside was dim, lit by a few small wall fixtures and some tired table lamps placed up on the bar. The room was devoid of customers, save for one man enjoying a small plate of what looked like spaghetti in the far corner. Her sister seemed to know the place, striding in with confidence, right up to the bar.

"C'mon, pull up a stool."

Ruby tried to move one of the faded and tired bar stools. It didn't yield.

"Yang, it's bolted to the floor."

"You know what I meant, sit down."

With a smile, Ruby let the girl rub her hair with her good hand, before taking a seat at her left near the middle of the bar. The mirror in front of her and the pyramid of fancy booze bottles reflected the two of them, revealing that the bar had a sink behind it. It was nothing special, she just thought it was interesting.

"Where's the barkeeper?"

Yang smiled over at her, pulling her jacket off and folding it neatly onto the bar stool next to her.

"Oh that's the best part. Watch this."

Yang slammed her metal hand down on the bar as hard as she could, rattling the few glasses that were on it and leaving a dent in the thick hardwood.

"Yo, barkeep! You have two gorgeous and thirst customers out here! Get yer tush in gear!"

Ruby panicked, grabbing her sister and pulling her back down onto her stool.

" _Yang, what is wrong with you?!"_

Yang merely winked back at her.

"We're _waiting!_ Gettin' pretty dry out here! _"_

A quiet snicker came from the man in the corner, seemingly finding this quite amusing. Ruby's voice got stuck in her throat. She hoped the world would freeze in this moment in time so she didn't have to wait for the proprietor of the creepy bar to come out of the back and murder them both. She didn't have to wait long though, as the deep voice of the dark spectre of death himself seemed to boom from the doorway behind the bar that led into the kitchen. The voice seemed oddly familiar, as well, and almost sounded like their old Grimm studies professor, just a lot more serious.

" _Yes, yes, my apologies, I was helping my daughter with her econ homework."_

And then, like a scene from a bad dream, the doorway filled with a _huge_ black shadow. She let out a gasp.

"Now, what can I- oh, it's _you_."

The massive man's voice went from apologetic to annoyed in a breath. He paused, still only illuminated from behind. His huge shadow made him a lot more intimidating than was necessary, really, but Ruby found herself in no position to object as the man stood a clear two _feet_ taller than she did. His tree-trunk like arms were also fairly evident from the silhouette. Yang, on the other hand, seemed perfectly at ease.

" _Hei_ Xiong. How's it hangin'?"

The spectre let out a dejected sigh.

"Why do you keep coming back here, Xiao-Long?"

"Because I like the food!"

The huge man, who Ruby now recognized was _Junior_ Xiong of all people, finally moved out of the doorway and came up to his place behind the counter. The last time she had seen him was seven or eight years ago, running a fancy nightclub in downtown Vale, remembering his fancy suit and tie as well. This man's black t-shirt on jeans combo somehow made him look less like a mob boss and more like a mob _enforcer._ She didn't know which she feared more, really.

"Nobody likes the food here. Except Paul. But he has no tastebuds, so..."

"Maybe I like the music selection on the jukebox!"

Ruby looked around the room. No such music player existed around the dark oak-walled room.

"Don't be ridiculous. We don't even play music here. Keep trying before I remove you from my bar. Again."

Yang leaned forward slightly, parting her lips slightly. Ruby winced, knowing _exactly_ where this was going. Yang made the effort to discreetly push her breasts slightly together with her biceps, but Junior's eyes didn't once drop down to the low neckline of the strapless dress. A miracle of self-control, Ruby figured, as she _herself_ had a modicum of difficulty not looking at that moment.

"Alright... what if I like the _bartender?"_

Junior leaned over his side of the bar, resting on his large hands. He maintained eye contact with her needlessly flirtatious sister, not even flinching as Yang seemed to lean her face up to him, coming a few inches away. Even _Ruby_ found herself biting her lip in anticipation.

"The bartender doesn't like _you."_

"Is that so..."

Junior brought a hand up, gently placing it on Yang's cheek. Ruby's face lit up like a bright red spotlight. There was no _way_ this was happening. No way! The large and aggressive bartender softened visibly, trailing his fingers down her sister's neck, bringing his hand to a rest on the girl's shoulder.

"... _Very_ much so."

He turned his hand over, and with a forceful yet polite shove, manually put Yang back onto her bum on the tall stool. With the crisis averted, Ruby let her heartbeat slow and the excess blood drain from her face. The awkward air in the bar settled as soon as Junior stood upright again, giving Yang another opportunity to make conversation with the annoyed business owner.

"Aw, c'mon now. You know you love me!"

The big man snorted as he picked up one of the empty glasses from the bar and began washing it in the sink. Ruby always wondered why bartenders did that, knowing full well they had a dishwasher in the back. Maybe it was for effect. Junior gestured up to the wall behind him.

"If I did, blondie, I wouldn't have a 'No Yangs Allowed' sign, now would I?"

True to his word, a sign bearing _No Yangs of any variety may enter this establishment at any time_ hung on the wall above the big mirror behind the bar. It looked like it had cost a pretty penny to have made up, as it was glazed and fired ceramic, bearing a little picture of Yang's face as well. An impressive sign, she thought. Cheeky as well, as it was clearly too high off the ground for her sister to reach if she had wanted to steal it.

"You'd miss me too much if I wasn't around, Hei. Besides, I'm your best customer."

Junior put the cup down with a solid _crack_ of glass against wood.

"No, I would not. I have other pressing matters to attend to other than your weird attraction to this crappy bar. Why are you here, anyways?"

"Isn't it obvious? I'm here for you, big guy!"

Ruby poked her sister in the ribs again. The blonde took it without flinching.

"Yang, shut up."

Junior just laughed, not registering the response her sister was expecting.

"That'd be the day, Xiao-Long. That'd be the fuckin' day."

Yang laughed at him.

"Nah, we're here for dinner. Thought I'd bring the Ru-ster out to my favourite restaurant, seeing as she's livin' with me'n dad again. Besides, after dinner, I thought you and _I_ could, you know... _talk business_ ifyaknowwhatI'msayin. Wink wink, nudge nudge."

"God, I _hope_ you're joking. _Yeuch._ "

"Could you maybe sound a little _less_ disappointed, Hei?"

Junior rolled his eyes at her, and pulled two short, single page menus out from a sleeve behind the counter and sliding them over. Ruby gave her page a glance, and seeing the prices, suddenly realized why no one seemed to come here. _Thirty lien_ for a sandwich and fries! It was astronomical!

"So what do you want, Yang? Make it snappy."

He turned to Ruby and dropped the aggressive attitude.

"Sorry, sweetheart. What can I get for you? Something to drink to start?"

Yang cut in before she even had the chance to open her mouth.

"Give 'er a strawberry sunrise, and get nuts with the tequila."

"Yang! No!"

Another rib-jab was delivered via express post to her sister's side.

"Sorry, Mister Xiong, sir. Uh, whatever is cold and fizzy and preferably cheap."

He smiled at her, grabbing a clean glass from the rack behind him, quickly filling it with a fizzy purple soda she guessed was PLG. He set it gently down in front of her on a coaster, dropping a tiny paper umbrella into the cup in a swift and fluid movement.

"Of course, my dear. And you can call me Junior. Mister Xiong was my father."

" _Nice,_ an informality exchange! High five for higher language conversation!"

Yang held up her hand, expecting Junior to give her a high five. He instead gave her another angry look.

"It's just a saying, Xiao-Long, don't get all up in arm."

"You mean up in _arms,_ Hei."

"Not for you."

Ruby choked on her drink, laughing harshly as the fizzy drink went down into the wrong pipe. Yang's mouth fell open, halfway between another ' _Hey!'_ and a more aggressive _'Fuck you!',_ yet neither of which got said. Junior's face broke into a smile.

"That's so mean, Hei! Why would you say that to me!"

He just shrugged.

"I dunno, probably had something to do with the fact you burned down my nightclub and assaulted my staff. Ruby, sweetheart, have you decided what you'd like?"

"Do you have poutine?"

"Not on the menu, but I can make it for you."

"Hey, why does _she_ get special treatment and I, your _best and most beautiful_ customer, do not?!"

Junior simply scribbled a short order on a slip of paper and stuck it into his pocket.

"See above. Also, you kicked the shit out of my daughters. Do you _know_ what it's like to have them one weekend a month, and you try and spend as much time as you can with them, inviting them to the VIP room at your nightclub so they can meet their favourite celebrities and then they get beat up by you because I refused to serve you?"

Yang shrugged.

"I was thirsty."

"You were a _minor!_ I had to send them back to their mother covered in bruises and scrapes, not to mention Mel's three cracked ribs! You have no idea how many meetings I had to go to, and the amount of money I spent on lawyers fees to prove that I was a good father in court."

"Oh..."

"But look on the brightside. After the insurance finally paid out, I was able to rebuild the club and most of my men survived with no injuries, so that's all right."

It felt like a baited brightside, actually. Ruby patiently waited for the incoming ' _but',_ watching Yang's face as she did.

"...That's good?"

" _BUT_ the government deemed me a bad parent, so my bi-weekly custody was revoked and my children given permanently to my ex-wife, then my business partner slept with my girlfriend, and I lost my business when the bank told me they were repossessing because I 'defaulted on my loan' or some shit like that."

Yang's smile faded, replaced by a very embarrassed pout.

"I'm sorry."

Junior's face broke out into a huge smile, followed by a raucous bout of laughter. He slammed his hand down on the table, having to support his huge torso from folding over onto itself. None of what anyone had said was even remotely funny, and Ruby was both confused and scared at the short interaction.

"I've been waiting almost _ten years_ to hear you say that! Oh my god, I had to go into a dark place to pull that out. The Academy Award goes to _me,_ motherfucker!"

"What, you mean none of that was true?!"

Yang's face was in full panic.

"No, most of it was. Some of it was pure acting. Your face, Yang. Goddamn _priceless._ "

"Bu- whu- I don't- speh- what?!"

"Well, the part about Mel's broken ribs is true, still a little upset about that, and so is the fact that I had to go to court when my girls were returned to their mother. _But_ in all fairness, I did win that case when I presented the security footage of me, their brave father, defending them and my nightclub against an attack from a violent demi-god. I got custody back and now we're a family again. No more actually abusive ex-wife controlling them."

"You... _argh!_ "

Ruby chuckled at her sister, watching the blonde woman have a crisis on the skinny stool next to her. Junior continued to chuckle to himself as he disappeared back through the doorway into the kitchen again. Ruby could hear him mumbling to someone and the sound of a gas stove being lit. He reappeared shortly after, having donned a white apron that bore a few faded stains. _Now_ he looked the part of the shady bartender.

"So, Ruby, it's been a while since you came to one of my establishments, how've you been?"

Ruby shrugged, taking another sip of the highly caffeinated purple drink. She was going to be awake for hours.

"M'okay, I guess. I moved to Atlas after I got drafted, and I've been living there wasting time, really. I don't really get out of the house much."

"You were drafted?"

"Yep. Right out of Beacon after the attacks. General Ironwood requested me specifically. That's why I don't live in Vale anymore. Speaking of, why aren't _you_ in Vale either? Did you really lose your business?"

He smiled, pouring something from a clear and label-free bottle into a glass and setting it down in front of Yang. Her sister didn't even move as it hit the hardwood.

"No, it's still there. My business partner runs it. I get a significant cut of the profits, of course. It's still _my_ nightclub. Few years after winning custody of my girls again, we moved out here to Patch to get away from my ex-wife. Found this little hole in the wall and bought it for cheap, and now I run a _new_ sketchy bar. Reminds me of my first business venture when I was running a bar out of someone's basement."

"But why Patch?"

"Couldn't get away from my best customer."

Yang shot up off the countertop, a huge smile on her face. Junior chuckled in her direction.

"Nah, I'm kidding. The real estate was cheap out here, and Mel's attending U of P so this is convenient for us."

Yang's face fell, but not enough to be considered a pout. She took a sip of the suspicious clear liquid she had been provided, her face contorting as she did. Ruby hummed, enjoying a second glass of PLG she had been given.

"Gosh, what is this stuff, Hei?"

"Strawberry-banana vodka. Made it myself. It has a low percent alcohol so you don't get blasted immediately and can enjoy it for longer."

"Why is it clear? It looks like rubbing alcohol."

"Gives it a mysterious look I think, like you don't know what it's gonna taste like. For example, whisky is yellow-brown, beer is _supposed_ to be dark brown, a good wine is deep red, almost black, and cream liqueur is solid white. Good alcohols all have a distinct colour, but then you know what you're getting. Know what I'm saying? _This_ is a mystery."

Yang smirked, taking another drink.

"Huh. Well it's excellent. Don't pour me any more though, I have to drive home."

"I can drive us if you want to have more of a strange clear alcohol given to you by a man who tried to kill you with a Bat-Zooka once."

Yang looked over at her sister, a look of concern on her face.

"Ruby, it was mutual. We tried to kill _each other,_ so we're friends now. It's all good. Hei wouldn't try and kill me with alcohol. Right?"

Junior made the most obvious ' _No promises'_ shrug Ruby had ever seen. Despite this, Yang finished her clear booze and set the glass down on the table. They all sat quietly for a moment, enjoying the dim serenity of the little bar. From the back room, Ruby could hear a deep-fryer sizzling.

"So how are Mel and Millie, anyways? Still doing ballet?"

"Nah, they stopped when we moved out here. They _have_ been keeping up with Sikaran, mind you. Problem is, I can't help them train anymore. Not as flexible as I once was. Forty-six caught up to me _real fast._ Word to the wise girls, don't try to grow up too fast."

Yang chuckled.

"Ah yes, Sikaran. The art of cheating at boxing."

"Not cheating if they're two different sports. Anyway, Mel's studying business at University, and Millie has been taking night classes in advanced thermodynamics from AtlasU online. She helps around the bar in the daytime. They're good girls. Much better than me, anyways."

"I'm surprised you _need_ help around the bar, Hei. You managed a whole nightclub by yourself, and you managed to muscle _me_ out of it most of the time."

Junior snickered, taking Yang's empty glass and placing it in the sink.

"You have to remember, Xiao-Long, I was a completely legitimate businessman at that time, so I had... _associates_ who did most of the legwork. Now that I'm an... even more legitimate businessman, I've had to do all of this myself. But I will say, twenty years of doing my own taxes and investments for completely legal business practices means I can help Mel study for her econ midterm."

Who knew being a mob boss would prepare a man for teaching economics to one's children. Ruby gave him an impressed look. Maybe _she_ should get into 'legitimate business' like Junior used to be. After a moment more, another figure appeared in the doorway holding a tray in it's arms. The delicious and glorious smell of turkey gravy and melted cheese filled the room as the figure appeared. As soon as it was in the light, Ruby could identify the person as a woman no older than she, wearing the same black t-shirt and black jeans as Junior, with shoulder-length black hair tied back under a faded red bandana. She had a very soft face, with only a minimal adornment of makeup around her eyes. She too wore a white apron, complete with a little beermug-shaped pin affixed to one of the straps. In her hands was a big round chrome tray with a large salad bowl filled with fries, cheese, and gravy.

"Poutine for- oh, _you're_ here..."

The girl stopped a good ten or so feet away, keeping her eyes on Yang. She seemed frozen in place, and her face carried an obvious anger. She seemed to seethe. This was to be expected, of course. Yang wasn't exactly a popular girl in this family. Ruby leaned passed her sister, waving.

"Hey, Millie. That's for me."

The girl softened immediately, a tiny smile coming to her face.

"Oh... Hi, Ruby..."

She brought the tray over and gently placed the large bowl of starch and milk fat down onto the countertop, placing a set of utensils wrapped in a napkin next to it. She lingered for a moment, giving Ruby a second to unwrap her napkin and place it across her lap.

"Thanks, Millie. You're the best."

The girl smiled at her with a hint of red in her cheeks, looking down at her feet and brushing a strand of hair back behind her ear.

"N-no problem."

With that, the girl skittered back through the doorway and into the kitchen, with a tiny squeal that only those with the strongest microphones would have heard. Ruby hadn't. Yang, on the other hand...

"I think she likes you."

Ruby dropped her fork.

"Excuse me _what?"_

Yang gave a quick flick of her hair, looking back over at her.

"Oh come _on,_ don't tell me you didn't see that. She was _completely_ giving you 'the eyes', Rubes."

"It's true."

Junior's interjection made her jump. During the last year at Beacon, Ruby had gone to Junior's club a few times just to get away from the school for a few hours. The big mob boss used to let her into the VIP section and give her a private booth so she could relax, do homework, play video games or whatever she wanted. She remembered Millie, who insisted everyone except Ruby call her by her real name, would spend a lot of time in the little private booth as well. Ruby had mastered chess and backgammon playing against the young girl, spending at minimum one night a week in the classy bar.

"It... it can't be! Right?"

Yang _and_ Junior nodded. It couldn't have been true! Her and Millie were pals! They played board games together! They hung out chilled together! They did exactly the same things her and... Weiss did... together...

"Oh. _Oh."_

"Yep."

Ruby's face fell into her hands, her face turning beet red.

"Oh god, why..."

Yang gave her a pat on the shoulder.

"Don't worry, sis. _Every_ gay girl has a crush on you at some point. You're just so damn _cute!"_

Ruby huffed, laying her arms out straight. Yang had already stolen her pouting and was busy eating it at this moment. Not that she cared anymore.

"What do you mean 'don't worry'? All I'm gonna do now is worry that every girl I meet is gonna fall in love with me! Or maybe I'm gonna convert all the straight girls into gay ones and then they're gonna fall in love too!"

"Rubes, I never said Millie was gay, she just has a crush is all. 'Sides, I know for a fact that even the very straight faunus we lived with thought you were cute when we first met."

"I think that's a different kind of 'thinking I was cute', Yang."

Yang shrugged, shovelling a huge forkful of the fries into her mouth.

"Same diff. Right, Hei?"

"I don't want to interfere. This is between you two. Last time I interfered in a relationship, _you_ were born, Xiao-Long."

Yang slapped a hand onto the counter.

"Oh that's _right,_ you went to school with dad! Rubes, did we ever tell you that Junior went to school with our parents?"

"How is that supposed to help?! You just told me Millie is in love with me!"

"Ancient history is more interesting, shush your face."

Junior gave Yang an angry look, likely in response to implicitly calling him ancient.

"Yang's right. I was in fourth year when your parents started at Beacon. You've never been told this? I'm surprised, Tai was always a loudmouth."

"Stop changing the subject!"

"I remember one time he thought it would be a fun idea to push Qrow down the dorm hallway on a baggage cart, scream-singing _What's Up_ at the top of their lungs. At four in the morning. And your mothers had absolutely nothing negative to say about them, in fact they seemed to be encouraging their shenanigans."

Both Yang and Junior laughed. Ruby's crisis increased.

"Ooh, tell her the library story! Tell 'er!"

Ruby did not want to hear the library story. She didn't want to hear _any_ story for that matter. All that was in her mind was the now-refreshed memories of her time spent in the bar with a woman who now very clearly had a thing for her. And how she had _ignored_ her. And after fourth year was ended abruptly by the attacks, she had _run away._ It all seemed familiar. _Too_ familiar.

"Right, right, the library story. So I was studying for I think a final or something, maybe chemistry, I don't really remember anymore, and I was sitting by that huge glass window in the north corner, I'm sure you girls remember which one. And into the room stroll your father and your mother, Yang, and they were just _screaming_ at each other, like I'm talking full-on sirenfest. Of course, in follows your uncle Qrow and little Summer, sheepishly apologizing to everyone in the place."

And on the topic of running away from women who loved her, she had left _Weiss_ in the same manner. Although their relationship had been quite different than that of her and Miltia. On _literally_ every level. Her heartbeat was uncontrollably hard, almost audible outside in the bar. Both Yang and Junior seem to have noticed her grief.

"Okay, hold up. Millie!"

The young girl stuck her head out of the doorway.

"Yeah, dad?"

"You did it."

"You owe me fifty lien."

"Ha! Yes I do!"

After that very confusing exchange, the girl disappeared back into the kitchen again. Ruby huffed into the table again. Fifty lien or not, nothing would fix how she had suddenly be made to feel. She had _betrayed_ the friendship of her first and second closest friends.

"Go on with the story, Hei."

The story didn't matter. _Nothing_ mattered. Junior knocked on on the counter next to her head.

"Hey, kid. Sit up."

Ruby sat up, her face awash of red and pain. She looked the man in the eyes before realizing he was _laughing_ at her! She felt confused, hurt, lost, and damaged beyond repair. He placed a hand on her shoulder, and as hard as she wanted to wince away from him, she didn't. She felt at ease, as if it was flowing from him and into her.

"How do you feel?"

She sniffed.

"I... like shit..."

She collapsed back onto the table.

"Okay, why?"

"I abandoned Weiss."

Her heart went completely into overdrive, thundering as she collapsed again.

"And why did you do that?"

"I was scared. My friend just died. I didn't know what to do."

"And how do you think Weiss felt when you did that?"

Ruby didn't know. She hadn't even given it any thought. Not _once_ in the last three weeks had she even imagined how Weiss had felt in that single instant. Now, it had all come flooding back in.

"Abandoned."

"Alone, betrayed, forgotten, tossed aside. Probably a lot more things. Why don't you go back?"

"She wouldn't want to see me, Junior. I'm not her friend anymore."

"What evidence do you have that that is even remotely true?"

Ruby sighed, covering her face with her sleeves.

"...Don'tknow..."

Junior smiled at her, in her depressed and melted state.

"Well, it's a good thing I still have contacts in Atlas from my previous legal businesses, and they told me that she misses you. That she had a bit of a freakout when she got home. Did some... damage to her house."

Ruby sat up a little.

"She... misses me?"

"Of _course_ she misses you. She loves you. Right, Yang?"

The blonde's good arm draped around her shoulders, giving her a squeeze.

"Of course she does. I've never met another person who loves you as much as I do, other than the Princess of Pissed-Off herself."

"However I don't think you should go back just yet."

Ruby wiped her nose on her sleeve, sniffling back the tears before they flowed.

"You... don't?"

"No. Your sister called me earlier and told me you guys were coming for dinner. I called around for info. I mean, I still don't like you in my bar, Xiao-Long, but whatever. This is for you."

"Why shouldn't I go back?"

The large gentleman exhaled slowly, turning to Yang. On cue, her sister spoke up again.

"We think you need some more time to... adjust. _But,_ in the mean time, I, your beautiful and talented sister, am gonna help you get back on your feet. Even if you are the one with better balance."

Ruby smiled, sniffing pathetically with a lot of nose-noise.

"Think of it as a sabbatical. You're here to make yourself stronger. I'll even help you keep in shape. Not that you need it, Ru-ster."

She smiled that million-lien smile, showing off her pearly whites. Ruby felt at ease. Yang pulled her close again and rubbed her back. Yang was right. She didn't have the mental strength to go back to Atlas yet. She was going to stay in Patch for the time being. Maybe she'd take up her sister's offer of training. She hadn't been on a mission in a while, and she _was_ kinda out of practice.

"Okay. I'll stay. For now."

"You go back when you're ready. Okay, kid?"

She nodded at Junior.

"Okay. I will."

"Is there anything _I_ can do for you?"

"Could you finish your story?"

He smiled, and Yang chuckled into her drink, which she had somehow got another of.

"Of course. So there I was, studying, and in strolls Rae and Tai, screamin' at each other. Something about how he was being a pain in their room or something to do with sleep being lost, I don't really remember. So I put up with it for a few minutes longer, but I really needed to study. So I get up and march over. Now, you can imagine me, all six foot eleven, I cut a pretty intimidating figure as I made my way up to them."

"You're damn right, Hei."

"Little Summer and your uncle I think _tried_ to stop me, I don't really remember them putting up a fight. I remember Qrow saying, or at least trying to say ' _Hey buddy, stop',_ then he hit the floor ass-first. Tai and Rae had sat down at a table across from each other, which was kinda cute that they had, but it gave me even more opportunity to get in their faces. I broke the table in half and flipped it out from in between them."

Yang laughed with a clap.

"Hard _core._ What happened next!"

"Hush, Xiao-Long, you've heard this story. So anyway, now they're sitting six feet apart with nothing between them, so I grab their chairs and just go like- _woosh-_ and pull them towards the other, smashing their knees together. They go silent and I lean in all like ' _You will be quiet, or you will die.'_ and they just become completely white in the face. Of course, they're still upset at each other, so I decide to permanently diffuse them. I was like ' _Now kiss and make up.'_ and I turned and walked back to my notes. By the time I looked back, they were tongue-deep in each other's throats. It was... disgusting, but productive, apparently. Because they spawned _another_ annoying, blonde, muscular heathen."

"What can I say? I'm the product of my upbringing!"

"No, because then you'd be docile and polite, like your dad became after you were born. You wanted to be a rebel. Your sister is the real product of her upbringing. A goddamn _clone_ of her mother, really."

They both looked at her, their faces soft and full of nostalgia. It was true, she had gained absolutely zero traits from her father. Not the facial structure, not the skin tone, and certainly not the eyes. It was all her mother, and so much so that people often confused her for and _actual_ clone of her mom. The only similarity between her and her dad was that they both had a rigorous workout routine and had lightning fast metabolisms. Yang sighed, reaching over and gently pushing some hair back behind her ear.

"Yeah, she's Summer's daughter alright."

Even Junior sighed with a contented smile.

"If only we could have everything back the way it was."

Yang spun on her stool, directing her attention back over to the man.

"Speaking of 'back the way it was', you and I need to talk _business."_

He frowned.

"Uh oh. What do you mean 'business'. This better not be another attempt to hit on me."

"Psh, nah. You'll come around eventually. No, what I need is something different. In fact, I think you could even lend me a _hand_ with something."

He stood up slowly, a look of concern crossing his face.

"...What do you need a hand with?"

In one movement, Yang pulled her entire right arm off, slipping out of the leather straps and dropping the lightweight appendage onto the table with a thud.

"A whole new arm."

Junior blinked a few times. Ruby blinked a few times. Neither wanted to speak first. A loud groan came from the man sitting in the corner. He booed her pun. Ruby wanted to as well, but she kept quiet. Junior did his best to control his obvious rage at the smiling blonde. Everybody in the room knew that in an instant, he could crush her head like a grape in his arms, but chose not to. Instead, he gently picked the arm up off the table and brought it close to his face.

"What did you do _this_ time?"

"I dunno, just wore it out I guess."

He gave her a look. She wasn't having it.

"Don't you say it, Hei. Not doing _that."_

"Of course not."

He pulled a magnifying glass out of a drawer behind the bar, shutting the drawer with his hip as he brought the delicate glass up to his eye. He looked the metallic appendage over a few times, moving the elbow joint and wrist joint by hand. He seemed to be listening for something. Ruby couldn't _not_ squeamishly convulse as he moved each one of the little pads inside of the bicep-grip mechanism.

"Feels like something in here. Have you noticed a drop in performance?"

Yang shrugged.

"Not really. The power cells usually take a week of use before it starts to go soft. That's normal, eh?"

"That's pretty good."

He flipped the arm around, looking directly into the attachment point. Ruby gagged on air as he brought it forward and sniffed. He recoiled slowly, a frown on his face.

"Something smells wrong."

"Well, I don't sweat from the stump, so don't blame me for that."

"No, it's not that. Uh, do either of you have a six millimetre Torx on you?"

"Hei, neither of us carry random tools on them."

Ruby perked up, reaching into the front pocket of her coat.

"Wait, I might."

She pulled a handful of screwdrivers out of the pocket and lay them on the table. She dug through the pile, ignoring her sister's confused stare. Years of using a weapon that was prone to sudden, catastrophic self-disassembly necessitated carrying tools on her at all times. She knew she had the right one, as she remembered that the short pike-blade on the end of her scythe was bolted on with Torx bolts. It took a second, but she found it, reading the _6mm_ engraved onto the side of the driver. Junior took it from her outstretched hand.

"Okay, this should do. Thank you, sweetheart."

With a few twists of two flush-mounted screws, a side panel on the upper part of the arm came free, revealing the wired internal circuits. He sniffed the inside of the case again. It was _weird_ to watch the large man examine Yang's arm so _intimately._

"Smells burnt. Ruby, dear, you don't happen to have a multi-meter on you, do you?"

She shook her head.

"Nope, sorry."

"Ah well. I think I know what the problem is. The circuit responsible for the arm gripping servos up here has only two encoders for power control. I suspect you overloaded the circuit and blew one of them out. You do any heavy lifting recently?"

"Uh, probably. I mean, I work on a farm, so I probably overexerted myself a _little._ And if it's the encoders not being up to the job, can we install more powerful ones?"

"Not unless you want what's left of your arm to be crushed."

Both Ruby and her sister recoiled at the notion. Yang seemed at a loss, so Ruby spoke for her.

"Wait, why would her arm get crushed?"

"The arm uses the grip servos usually reserved for the Achilles joint on the Knight-200 series units. They're thin but incredibly powerful so the robots can run and carry weapons and the like. We use re-purposed V-regs and encoders from the Knight-130 hand and wrist circuit to avoid having the servos work to their full strength and actually crush your arm. Aura protection or not, you would be severely injured."

"Jeez. And I _keep_ this dangerous thing? So can you source new parts so we can fix it?"

By ' _we',_ Ruby could tell Yang meant ' _my sister',_ given the looks she kept getting. She rolled her eyes at her, a little annoyed that she was being given more tasks. She looked back over to Junior, who was giving Yang a very incredulous look.

"... you realize that me getting you these parts is _very_ illegal, right?"

"Oh, come on, you've done it before, it can't be _that_ hard."

He sighed, putting the arm back down.

"That was during the aftermath of the Beacon attacks, when I could get away with salvaging broken robots for most of the parts before they were collected and incinerated. The stuff you wear on your arm is actually Atlesian military secrets, which is very _very_ against the law to have. Most of that fancy circuitry had to be sourced from some of my old contacts, who had to steal and break down real, functioning Knights and pull the computers and such out, then make it look like an accident."

"I believe in you."

"I'm not a criminal anymore, Xiao-Long."

"But you _can_ get the parts."

He stared at her, his frown not wavering. With a sigh, he digressed.

"Yeah. Yeah, I can."

Yang cheered, jumping up and down on her stool.

"Sweet! Thank you _so much,_ I-"

"It will cost you."

"Oh, pshaw, I knew that. Money is no object. When can I expect it?"

Since when was money 'no object' to Yang? They were farmers, not international businessmen. There was no _way_ that she could- and she had pulled out a huge wad of cash and handed it over. Junior took it, giving it a quick rifle through before sticking it into the pocket of his apron.

"Next Friday, with a guarantee. I'll call my guy. He might think ten is not enough, mind you. He's a bit of an extortionist."

"How about fifteen?"

"That might be more reasonable. But don't worry, I'll pay the rest. Least I can do for you."

 _Fifteen thousand lien?!_ Ruby blinked a few times, her mouth falling open. That kind of money could buy a reasonable _car._

"Why thank you, Hei. You're much too accommodating."

He shrugged.

"What can I say? You _are_ my best customer. As long as you don't burn down my bar again, you're mostly welcome in here."

"Mostly?"

"Pay for your drinks more often, but otherwise we're good."

Yang smiled at him, handing over another five lien for the two drinks he had given her earlier. Junior took the money and pocketed it.

"There we go, then. And Ruby, dear, don't worry about your bill. Your sister ate your poutine, so I won't make you pay for it. Least I can do for making you sit around a dingy bar and feel bad about yourself."

It was Ruby's turn to smile.

"It's okay. I'll heal. Besides, Yang said she was not gonna drink, so I have to drive home."

"It wasn't even that much!"

"Safety first. Don't drink and be Yang."

"Psh."

Junior chucked, grabbing his cleaning rag and tossing it into a hamper across the bar. Ruby stood up off the stool, pulling her jacket back on as Yang did the same. Of course, her sister wasn't anywhere _near_ boozed enough to not be driving, but she surrendered the keys anyways. Their dad was quite strict about drinking and driving.

"Thanks for having us, Junior. I'm gonna take Yang home to make sure she doesn't spend anymore money."

With a smile, they waved goodbye.

"Of course. You drive safe. Come back anytime."

With that, they left the bar, retreating back into the cool evening air.

/.../

It took her a few minutes and every ratchet extension she had, but the last bolt finally came loose with a resounding _crack._ She set the ratchet down on the towel she had draped over the fender of the big, dirty pickup. She reached into the engine bay and grabbed each end of the plastic rocker cover and pulled, breaking the likely-original gasket as it came free from the head. The wide cover was placed aside, next to all of the induction parts that had come off as well on the work bench. Ruby wiped her forehead on her sleeve, grabbing the worklight that was magnetically stuck to the underside of the truck's hood.

"Oh, my."

The cam gallery at the top of the right-side cylinder head was a mess of oil and grime, all coagulated into a black and goopy substance that had the consistency of tree sap. She poked at it, smearing a gloved finger into the mess. Most of the sludge was actually metal filings.

"Dad's big on oil changes, it seems."

She grabbed a rag from her back pocket and wiped the majority of the collection off of the camshaft, revealing the tired and scuffed-looking steel shaft. She gave the long camshaft a wiggle to test each of the carrier bearings. The tolerances on the Sanus Motors modular engines were far from perfect, being mass-produced for many different vehicles, but the slop she could feel in this particular was _way_ out. The camshaft moved almost a quarter inch in each direction. Worst of all, as she moved down the shaft, she could see that each of the cam lobes had been worn out, barely lumpy enough to even be considered functional. And right at the end at the back of the motor, the camshaft had actually broken. The valves of the number four cylinder weren't actuating as she spun the cam gear.

"Oh. Shit. I can't fix that."

She hopped down off the stool she was standing on.

"Damn it."

This meant a new set of cylinder heads at the minimum, a whole new engine at the worst. Overhead cam engines were notoriously hard to replace heads on, the Sanus engines being the worst of all. They were supposed to be reliable, but she supposed that after ten years of military service in Vacuo, the tired P-150 owed her nothing. Maybe a new engine would be worth it, just to keep the old darling around.

"Dad?!"

The garage was quiet.

"Dad?"

Nothing. She stood up and looked around. She could swear he had been sitting in his deck chair not five minutes ago. She shrugged. Maybe he had gone to get a drink or something. She pulled out her phone from her overalls, opening up the internet.

"Where... to... buy... used... engines...Island of Patch."

A few websites came up immediately, most of which were wrecking yards. She scrolled through a few choices, before seeing something she recognized.

"Oh, hey."

The surplus yard of the Vale Police Department was conveniently on page one of the search results. It was only a three or so hour drive away, and was the perfect place to source a new engine. All Sanus Motors police cars used the same fuel-injected eight cylinder as the broken ex-army truck. Of course, getting an engine from that yard would be a pain, seeing as she had just pulled apart the engine of the only pickup truck they owned. Not that driving this one on the roads was both unsafe and illegal, or anything. She looked over the agglomeration of parts once again.

"Yo! Ru-ster!"

Ruby jumped, dropping her ratchet set, each of the one hundred chrome pieces scattering all over the floor. Yang sheepishly pulled herself fully into the garage.

"No... my sockets..."

Yang scratched the back of her head with a sheepish grin.

"Sorry, Ru. Listen, me 'n dad made a fire out in the yard. You wanna come out?"

Ruby smiled.

"Yang, I came out years ago."

"Yeah, we know, are you gonna join me at the fire?"

She looked down at the mess of sockets that littered the garage floor with a sigh.

"Sure, give me a minute to wash my hands."

"Kay. Hurry up, lazy bum."

Yang strolled into the garage for a moment, grabbing a cardboard box from the old white refrigerator next to the towering red toolbox. After that, Yang disappeared back into the evening dark through the open door. Ruby sighed loudly after, grabbing another rag out of her pocket and wiping her hands before tossing it into her open toolbox.

"This will be a nightmare. Fuck. Oh well."

She left the garage and ignored the mess of tools, pulling the door down after herself. The evening air was a little colder than she was expected, making her shiver. The smell of burning walnut filled her nose as she crossed the gravel yard, seeing the glow of firelight coming from the back of the house. She quickened her pace, just to get over quicker. Rounding the back of the yard, she approached the fire, seeing her sister sitting comfortably in a fold-out picnic chair. Ruby approached, skipping a little on the dried leaves and grass. Yang waved her over. She grabbed the back of the closest picnic chair, and hopped over and into it.

The warmth of the fire was felt immediately as she sunk into the fabric chair. As her hands hung over the arms of the chair, a familiar damp nose pushed itself up into her fingers. She looked down at the excited dog.

"Hello, Zwei."

Zwei sat up, his tongue falling sideways out of his mouth. She gave his head a rub, scratching behind his big triangular ears. Zwei's head fell away, coming to a rest on his front paws. It took no more than three seconds for the old dog to go from _pet me_ to fast asleep. Ruby smiled down at him.

"I wish _I_ cared as little about life as Zwei does."

Yang was quick to snap a response.

"It ain't hard, Ru. Just take more naps."

"I can't take naps, Yang. I have a real job. Where I go to an _office._ People depend on me to not be asleep at work."

Yang shrugged using her whole body, and it made her smile again.

"Eh, potato."

"No! Not potato!"

"Y'ever think that _that_ is the reason you're so stressed out all the time?"

" _Ugh,_ you are insufferable."

Yang laughed.

"Nice ten-lien word. Who'd you learn that from?"

"Does it matter?"

"Well, no, why don't you just answer?"

"Why do I have to answer?"

"Why are you responding to everything I say with a question?"

"Is that a crime?"

Yang leaned back, letting her hair flop over the back of her chair, a big grin crossing her face.

"Gosh, you'd make a great politician. Now answer the damn question."

"Which one?"

Yang rolled her eyes so hard her head might have fallen off if not for her neck being there. Ruby gave a half-smile as Yang reached over to the little cardboard box she had grabbed and pulled two dark brown bottles from it, holding one out to her.

"Whatever. You want a beer?"

"Yang, I don't drink."

Once again, she was given the eye-roll.

"I asked if you wanted a beer, not if you wanted to get drunk."

Ruby furrowed her brow, watching Yang slide the second bottle back into the case.

"Wait, Yang, give it to me."

"No, you said no. I'm not gonna make you do something you don't want to do."

"Give me the damn bottle."

Yang made a face, grabbing the bottle _back_ out of the case, and tossed it over. Ruby caught it out of mid-air. She watched as her sister stuck the cap of her own drink into the joint of her right wrist, using the aluminum case of her forearm and titanium palm-pad as a vice, cracking the top of with a hiss of pressure. Not to be deterred, Ruby gripped the top of _her_ bottle in her very real and very fleshy fingers, and pried with all her might, ignoring the sting as the sharp carbon-steel cap tried to filet her hand. With a pop, she pulled the cap free and tossed it into the fire. Yang's eyebrows went up.

"Impressive. Painful?"

Ruby shrugged, taking a sip from the bottle. The dark, creamy taste of the alcohol was _leagues_ better than she had been expecting, full of hints of both banana and caramel. She didn't even _like_ beer, but this brew was quite flavourful.

"Eh, no more than most things."

They sat for a few moments, enjoying the crackling of the fire and the sounds of crickets and mayflies buzzing around them. Ruby gave the little site a look-see, not seeing their dad anywhere around. With a flip of her wrist, she checked her watch. The time was ten-thirty-eight, meaning she had been in the garage for nearly four full hours. Their dad was very likely falling asleep on his bed, watching whatever TV series he had pirated this week. She watched the fire crackle and spark, one of the little flying embers popping up and landing in the hole on the knee of Yang's jeans. Yang put her bottle down on a rock, grabbing her loosely-missing attention again.

"I have a question for you."

Ruby looked back up.

"Huh?"

"Like a _serious_ question."

"...okay."

"Why do you like Weiss?"

Ruby paused. Her brain stopped functioning for a moment, creating a static noise in her head. She did not expect this or any line of questioning, really. There was no time to prepare an answer. Her thoughts hit a brick wall so hard they broke through.

"Wha- uh... pah... huh?"

Yang repeated herself.

"Simple enough question, if you ask me. But I will ask it again anyways: why do you like Weiss?"

This was so unexpected, Ruby dropped her drink. Her whole body seemed to be frozen, despite being so close to the fire.

"Wh... what do you mean?"

"What I mean is ' _why do you like Weiss?'"_

Ruby picked up the glass bottle from the dirt it had been dropped in.

"I don't... understand why you're asking..."

Yang sat up, taking one last drink of her beer before setting it down on the rock again.

"You wanted me to help you with your problems, right?"

Ruby nodded very slowly.

"Y-yes."

Yang offered her hands.

"Okay, so how about I put it like this; when you have a problem with... whatever, uh, Crescent Rose, a piece of plumbing in your house, your truck, do you just look at the problem and diagnose it immediately?"

"Well... no. But-"

"Okay, better example. You knew there was a problem with dad's P-150, so instead of just ignoring it and replacing the truck, you broke it down, took it apart, saw each problem individually, and now you know how to _fix_ it. You understand?"

"I... guess?"

Yang leaned forward and took another drink of her beer. Ruby did the same, just to not feel so awkward.

"So! I promised I would help you, so here we are. I'm diagnosing your problem by getting to what _I_ believe to be the root of it."

"Yang, I don't have a problem with Weiss, it's just..."

Her thought ran out. Yang seemed to have caught on.

"Okay, so... keep going..."

"I... _do_ like Weiss."

"We know. Why?"

Ruby glared.

"I don't know."

"Not gonna cut it."

Ruby let out a breath. She didn't want to talk about this, but there seemed to be no way out. She took a moment, but relented.

"She's... pretty."

Yang wasn't convinced. Ruby groaned, draping her arm across her face and breathing into the rough cotton of her coveralls.

"I... she makes me feel _safe."_

"Safe from what?"

She winced, not prepared to answer.

"Well... do you remember the... _problems_ I had at Beacon?"

Her sister gave her a concerned look, scratching her arm idly.

"No, I remember you enjoying Beacon. You had a chill job, you had a crappy car, you bunked _avec moi,_ so I don't remember any problem. Is there something you're not telling me?"

Oh there absolutely was. There was _such_ a huge thing that she wasn't telling. And she would _never_ tell, if she could help it. She hesitated with her answer.

"N-no, of course not. I just... remember I was really antisocial, so being with Weiss helped me with that. She protected me from everyone else by being... you know... Weiss. We would hang out and stuff. Paint our nails, try on clothes, and talk about cute... well, no we didn't do that. She was very much not a people person. But she seemed to tolerate me, so I guess I just clung to her."

Yang nodded, her fingers bridging together.

"Hmm, like a security blanket?"

Ruby fidgeted, taking a reasonably large drink from the brown bottle in order to claim some sort of false confidence.

"I don't think that's accurate either. She was my partner, and we were _supposed_ to stick together, so we did."

"And all those times you ran off to Junior's? Where was the ' _sticking together'_ then?"

That was an unfair question. Weiss had a job too at that point, and Ruby made sure to only go to the club on nights when Weiss wasn't going to be at the dorm. She had spent every _possible_ waking hour with the woman. Something was telling her that Yang wouldn't buy that explanation.

"That doesn't matter. Also I'm still mad at _you_ for making Millie do the fake crush thing earlier."

Yang shrugged again, keeping her hands interlocked and her nose pressed between her outstretched fingers.

"Hey, it got you to open up, and I was able to find out the source of your problem."

"Yang, Weiss _isn't_ the source of my problems. She was... she was one of the solutions! She loved me when nobody else would!"

Yang leaned forward and levelled a very serious tone.

"Then why did you leave?"

"I don't know!"

Ruby stood with force, knocking over the fabric picnic chair. Her eyes burned as she stared back over at her sister, who hadn't moved and was now staring into the fire.

"I don't... know why. I'm a scared, stupid little girl who runs away when... when bad shit happens. I don't know why, okay?!"

Yang didn't respond, still looking into the fire, which had started to flame out. Ruby's face hurt. She had to leave. With a quiet grunt, she turned away, chucking the empty bottle as hard as she could into the darkness in the direction of the forest. It sailed silently for a few moments, before thudding into the grass. Ruby's shoulders drooped. It wasn't fair.

"I just..."

She took a step away from the fire pit.

"Ruby, wait..."

She looked back over her shoulder. Yang's face had sunken quite a bit. She seemed... remorseful. She watched each emotion cross the blonde's face, each one unsure of how it should act. It finally settled, and she tried to speak, her voice hesitant and full of regret.

"I love you..."

The lavender eyes held the words her sister had just said. She couldn't look directly at them. She winced. She didn't respond. Instead she turned back towards the house.

And started running.


	31. Chapter 31: Illusion

**Chapter 68**

" _But Scott, we're in love! Why are you being this way?"_

" _No, Tanya, it can never work. No matter what our hearts say..."_

The man on the screen turned away from the woman, his fist clenched against his chest and his head bowed.

" _In another life, in another time, but not here, and not now, Tanya..."_

The woman, too, turned away, her eyes betraying tears.

" _But Scott... our baby! What are we going to do about that?"_

The man turned, his eyes ablaze.

" _That is not my child! It cannot be! You know I never betrayed my wife!"_

Weiss opened her eyes and lifted her head of the plane's bulkhead. She blinked idly. The movie had been otherwise boring up until this point, so she had fallen asleep against the side of the plane, her headphones now slightly askew. She reached up lazily with her left hand and moved the left-side speaker back over her ear. She was still groggy, but the sudden conflict woke her.

" _Never? What about all those times in your bed? In my bed? In the car? And what about that one time, in that park, under the stars? What about all those times, Scott?"_

" _No, Tanya. You cannot do this to me..."_

" _Then you cannot deny our love, Scott!"_

Weiss opened her eyes a little wider, a minuscule smile cracking on her face.

" _I would never deny it, Tanya. It just could not happen here and now."_

" _Then let's run away to somewhere where we can happen!"_

The man turned away again, strolling to the window. The camera perspective changed to outside the window looking in. The man looked stoic, but there was a hint of tears in his eyes.

" _The baby is why we cannot."_

" _Scott, please! I love you!"_

Weiss leaned over to her right, resting her elbow on the middle armrest and dropping her cheek onto her hand. Some of her silvery white hair fell into her face. She blew a breath upward, trying to flick it out of her eyes. It didn't move enough as much of the breath had just gone up her nose, falling back onto her face, between her brow and her glasses. She blinked a few times to get the ends of her hair out of her eyelashes and rolled her eyes.

" _No, Tanya, you love the idea of me. You don't love...me"_

Both of the characters on screen looked on the verge of crying. Weiss realized at this moment that the story _hadn't_ gained any conflict, it was just the sudden shout that had woken her. It was still a cookie-cutter romance flick and it still _sucked ass_. She let out a dejected sigh through her nose. She turned her head to the left and looked out the ovaloid port-side window. The clouds still obscured the ground below. Not that there was anything to see, really. It was just the flat plains of central Anima down there. You could only look at farmland and coniferous forests for so long. At least the clouds made it look like you were floating along in a misty void.

Weiss sniffed, leaning back in the well-cushioned first class seat. She stretched her legs out, glad that she had picked _Northeast Airlines._ They just had better leg room, period. She rolled her head back, looking up at the ceiling panel. The _No Smoking_ sign was still illuminated. She smirked. Since when was smoking allowed on planes anyways. As if by magic, the light next to this one suddenly became illuminated.

" _Ladies and Gentlemen, the pilot has turned the 'Fasten Seatbelt' sign on. We will now be beginning our descent into Mistral. The local time is Seven-Thirty-Five in the morning. The weather is cloudy with a twenty-percent chance of showers. Please ensure that your tray tables are up and any baggage you have brought down from the overhead bins is stored safely away. We thank your for flying Northeast Airlines and we hope you had a lovely flight!"_

Weiss half-smiled, shutting her eyes, remaining in the very reclined position. Another sigh came to her lungs, and she begrudgingly let it out. It felt like the weight of the entire planet was pushing down on her again. For the third time. That day. It was probably only the pressurized cabin, however. She rubbed her eyes with the back of her left hand. She dropped her other hand onto her overnight bag, which sat previously neglected in the unoccupied isle seat. Her hand fumbled blindly for the zipper, reaching inside the subdued black bag and grabbing a pack of gum. Once the little plastic cylinder was in her fingers, she pulled it out and dropped the bag onto the floor in front of the abandoned seat, kicking it lazily underneath. She popped a piece of gum into her mouth, tossing the now-empty gum pack onto her tray table. She sighed again.

 _I hate flying._

She shimmied in her seat, sitting upright. She looked over her tray table. It was covered with garbage, mostly. The mostly read magazine about Mistralian sports cars, the three empty cups that still had residue of beer in them, the countless cookie wrappers...

 _What a pig you are._

Weiss dropped her shoulders, blinking slowly at her mess. She reached forward and poked the off button on the screen on the seatback. She grabbed the garbage off the table, shoving them into the bag on the seatback, lifting the tray table and latching it back up. She reached back up and scratched her head, twisting her hair in her fingers. The short messy mop she had given herself with the mirror shard had _finally_ been addressed by a professional and had been re-cut, and now it did not even reach past her shoulders. She sighed, fiddling with her hair again. She pulled the short silver hair back into a little pony tail, tying it back with the elastic around her wrist. It took her a moment to even get it off her wrist, as the sleeves of her hoodie were almost too long. Well, it was a size medium, so that should have been expected. She cuddled down into it, chewing the gum and feeling the plane begin to drop under her. It was a sickening feeling, as it always had been for her. She shut her eyes again, sighing. The movie's dumb plot floated into her mind. Cookie-cutter romance between two star-crossed married people. A grimace came to her face.

 _If only it was that simple. Fuck._

Not crying was easy for the wealthy business woman. As many business deals went sour on the daily, emotional attachment to her problems was always minimal. But this problem clawed at her. Like a savage beowolf.

 _You mean like her scar?_

She cursed, wrenching her eyes open and forcing her gaze out the window. This was completely the wrong time to be worrying about that. The plane had dipped below the clouds now, displaying the ground below. It was the outskirts of Mistral. She tried to identify landmarks. But it was just lacklustre grey buildings. Nothing was able to distract her, however. The plane hit a patch of turbulence, vibrating underneath her and threatening to shake her glasses from her face. The pads annoyingly bounced on the bridge of her nose, making her want to sneeze. She pulled her glasses off, stuffing them into the big pocket on the front of her hoodie. She hated this hoodie. Mostly because it was red.

Ruby liked red.

It was her college hoodie. She got it during her years at Atlas while studying business. _Go A-Dogs,_ she thought to herself. Not that she had been a big fan of the sports teams anyways, only going out to see the final games of each season, which required her to wear the stupid hoodie. She clenched her fists, trying to focus on something positive. She looked adorable in her hoodie. Or at least she used to think so. She could feel her ears begin to pop from the altitude drop. The chewing gum made it a little better. She sighed, having a second look out the window. She could see a few identifiable things down below. One of which looked very much like the famous _Mistral Mongols_ stadium.

 _Man, fuck the Mongols. Go A-Dogs!_

A tiny smile cracked across her face. The first one she had since she had left that morning. A significant change from her old post-Beacon life. Her smile went away, as her mind went to thoughts of Pyrrha's passing only a few weeks prior. It had been the down-hilliest of down hill slopes recently. She grabbed the last remaining piece of garbage on the tray table she had folded down on the vacant seat. A half filled cup of cheap airplane beer. She growled at it under her breath. She picked it up, staring down into it. It smelled like a yeast infection.

She guessed that it had been one from probably the beginning of the thirteen hour flight she had been condemned to. At least it was first class. Another glance out the window showed they were much closer to the ground now, as she could identify individual cars and people on the streets below. The sound of the engines suddenly increased, as the pilot engaged reverse thrust to slow the large craft. The distinct sound and vibration of the landing gear being deployed woke her up a little more. She blinked lazily, rolling around in her seat as the nose of the plane slowly ascended, indicating that landing was imminent.

 _Almost there, Weiss. Chin up, you've still got some travelling to do._

The wheels touched tarmac, screeching their displeasure and rocking the cabin violently. She groaned, still trying to get her ears to pop. They refused. The whole craft shuddered as the pilot ramped up the reverse thrust and engaged the wheel brakes. In no time at all, and at a rather abrupt shock to her organs, the plane was slowed to taxi speed. The time to the terminal felt like an eternity to her. She lay her head against the bulkhead again, exhaling heavily though her nose. It wasn't quite a sigh, but it was certainly sorrowful. She slid her feet into her shoes, fighting to get the left one on, as her fluffy socks provided thick and cottony resistance. The huffed, reaching down and sliding her heels into the shoes manually. Her finger stung from the friction between her socks and the skin of her index finger. The pain was temporary, however. This time.

" _We are now approaching the terminal. We kindly request that you remain in your seats until the plane has come to a complete stop and the gangway has been fully extended. We once again thank you for flying Northeast and hope you have a pleasant stay in Mistral."_

The plane shuddered, slowing down even further. Weiss slid her head back along the bulkhead, leaning back and sulking, her left hand dropping into her lap. The cocked view out the window showed the ground sliding loudly past. She counted the dotted lines on the edge of the taxiway. The plane had slowed to almost a halt, turning into what she assumed was the terminal. The count ended at forty-seven. The large steel machine finally ground to a halt.

Her hand idly played with the buckle, not fully uncoupling it yet. Just playing with it subconsciously. The other passengers had started moving about the cabin, standing up and opening the overhead bins. Weiss scoffed silently and closed her eyes again. Hadn't the flight attendant _just_ told them to wait until the plane was fully in the terminal before moving? It didn't matter. She rubbed her eyes again, enjoying the stinging. She waited. Patiently. The other passengers had started to move to the exit now. She heard the door depressurize and open, and the distinct sound of nearly a hundred and fifty tired and disgruntled flyers shuffle through.

"Alright. No more stalling."

She lifted up on the latch, pulling it off her. She brushed the crumbs off her pants and onto the floor as she stood up. Her whole body groaned. It argued. But she grunted though it. She collected her bag from the vacant seat, stumbling down the aisle. It wasn't the aisle she wanted to have stumbled down. Weiss placed her hand on the doorframe as she stepped onto the gangway, trying not to fall over. The air in the gangway was stuffy and unwelcoming. It made her want to sneeze. She sneezed.

 _Oh, now everything is pain. Great._

The headache was now prominent. The shock of the sneeze had loosened something in her head, and now it stung. She hoisted her shoulder and readjusted her bag. The end of the gangway came, and she aimlessly followed her fellow passengers toward customs. The sliding glass doors opened on one side of the terminal, so Weiss walked slowly towards it. Through the other side was the corrals for the customs desks. She strolled up to one of the desks. The man on the other side, a middle aged balding faunus with drooping canine-like ears seemed just as unhappy to be there as she was.

"Welcome to Mistral, ma'am. Passport?"

Weiss handed the little booklet over. The man scanned it and held it up to compare. He nodded, sliding the passport to one side of his desk.

"Reason for visiting?"

"Buying a car and having it shipped back to Atlas."

The man wasn't even affected.

"Your paperwork?"

Weiss pulled out a file folder from her bag and handed it over. It contained all the required documents for an out of country purchase of this amount. The customs officer looked over the documents for a minute. He seemed pleased enough, handing the paperwork back over to her. She slid it back into her bag. He grabbed her passport again, opening it and dropping his stamp onto one of the blank pages, before sliding it back over. She stuffed it into her bag as well.

"Welcome to Mistral. Enjoy your stay."

Weiss faked a half-smile, walking slowly away from the desk. She followed the hoard out into the mezzanine area of the airport. She looked around at the signs that lined the walls. Most directed travellers to bathrooms and restaurants. She saw the sign she was looking for. _Car Rentals._ She blinked a few times, letting her eyes adjust. She began the slow walk over to the escalators that promised the rental agencies. They were slow, but methodical as she stood steadfast and enjoyed the ride down. She almost forgot to get off at the bottom, stumbling as both her feet touched the end of the escalator. She glanced around. No one had seen. _Phew._

She looked forward, seeing the bright yellow sign of the rental company at the end of the hall. The airport was quiet this morning, with just the sounds of planes moving quietly out on the tarmac and of the gentle music playing over the intercom. It was soothing, if anything. She let the soft feeling flow through her, a welcome change from the harsh atmosphere of the airplane. She leaned against a nearby counter and watched the traffic go by out the big glass walls. A Hunter Switchback sat outside the doors, probably waiting for a passenger. Something touched her shoulder. She turned down to the source of the touch.

"Excuse me, Miss?"

Weiss jumped. In her distracted, tired state, she hadn't noticed that she was leaning on the Car Rental desk. She was fluster momentarily.

"May I help you, Miss?"

Weiss stared blankly for a second, before allowing her brain to recalibrate.

"Oh, uh, is this the _Starlight Rentals_ desk?"

The woman behind the desk nodded.

"Yes ma'am! Do you have a reservation?"

Weiss nodded, reaching into her bag once again, pulling out a printed copy of her reservation.

"Uh, yeah, under the name Schnee. Here."

The woman smiled broadly, tapping away at the computer. Weiss dropped her elbows onto the counter and leaned forward, looking at the various flyers that were posted up behind the desk.

"You booked the full-size pickup for two days, Miss Schnee?"

She nodded absently.

"Oh, and it looks like you also booked a wheel dolly as well."

"Yeah, I'm picking up a car out of town."

The woman nodded again, tapping again at her computer.

"I will have it brought directly to the truck and hooked up for you. Will you be needing a GPS as well?"

Weiss nodded. She probably needed it. As much as she had studied the maps on the internet, a live map feed would make finding the exact location easier.

"I'm dropping off in Shiroibara, right?"

The woman nodded. She was unsure why she even asked the question.

"Right, your vehicle is ready for you out in the lot. Argus will bring you out. The GPS has been added to your bill and will be directly charged, Miss Schnee. We hope you enjoy your trip!"

Weiss faked a second smile, stepping back from the desk. She figured if she had to fake anymore smiles with _this_ much air-sickness in her body and she'd just power-vomit at whoever was closest to her. A very large faunus stepped out of a door next to the desk. He had a very prominent mane around his neck, and was wearing a well-fitting black suit with a little _Starlight Rentals_ pin on the lapel. He smiled at her. _This must be Argus_ , she thought. He led her out into the large parking structure. She had to once again adjust the bag on her shoulder, as it had slid down her arm. She rubbed her nose with sleeve. They passed a line of luxurious black sedans, all wearing white and red rental car plates.

"I see you're an A-Dogs fan, ma'am. I also prefer them over the Mongols, as unlikely as it sounds."

Weiss chuckled half-heartedly, not fully focused on the conversation, or even her own sweater at the moment. They walked up behind a line of large pickup trucks, painted mostly red, yellow and black. She sighed at them. One of these large machines was hers for the next forty-eight hours. They walked right to the end of the isle.

"Here we go, ma'am. Your truck."

Taking up two parking spaces was a crystal white crew-cab pickup truck, with a tow dolly hooked up to the rear drawbar. Weiss examined the paintwork of the vehicle. It looked like it was made of diamonds, it was so sparkly. The chrome grill had the letters _V H I_ in large letters right front and centre. Every single piece of trim on the truck was chrome-plated, and glimmered in the early morning light. It was certainly impressive. For a truck. Made in Vale.

"There she is, Miss Schnee. Brand new VHI Commander 1500. Barely even a hundred miles on it. The leather is not even worn in yet."

Weiss nodded. She examined the badge on the side of the fender.

"Why is it sitting so low? It looks... deflated."

 _As deflated as I am. Blech._

The man laughed, slapping his chest with one if his brawny hands.

"No, it is functioning perfectly, ma'am. This truck has air suspension, giving it a much smoother ride than your average leaf-sprung work truck. When you start the engine, the truck will rise to ride height. It makes it feel like you are gliding on a cloud, it's really fantastic."

She hummed, thinking that air-ride would have been nice on her car. She traced her fingers against the little seven-letter badge on the fender.

"What does this mean, here?"

"Oh, that means the truck has the five-point-five litre _DomeTop_ engine. It's got cylinders shaped like hemispheres, which increases compression in the combustion chamber. It's also got a system that will shut off half the engine to increase mileage. I mean, if you really wanted towing power, the diesel model next to this would have let you tow up to fifteen thousand pounds."

She cocked her eyebrows at the man.

"So this is not powerful?"

"No, no! The _DomeTop_ is more powerful for speed, ma'am. This thing is a real hot-rod. The V-Eight should be sufficient for anything lighter than an Airstream trailer. Here, why don't you hop in and I'll show you some of the truck's features?"

Weiss nodded slowly. Argus clicked the key fob, and the lights flashed. Weiss pulled open the rear door of the cab, tossing her bag onto the back seat, before climbing up into the driver's eat. Argus climbed up into the passenger seat. He pointed to the start button that sat next to the steering wheel.

"You ever seen a truck with push button start?"

Weiss pretended to have not. She owned a truck herself, larger than this one, which also had button-start. She pushed her finger into the button and held it there. The engine rumbled into life. It was a familiar feeling, being in a large VHI truck that rumbled like this. She sniffed back the feeling. She looked up on the column for the gear lever. It was not there.

"Oh, this truck has a rotary gear selector here."

Weiss looked where he was pointing. There was a large dial that had popped out of the centre stack, with P, R, N, and D illuminated around it.

"Just push the brake and rotate to whatever position you need. The truck does have a backup camera, should you need it. It will be displayed here on this nine-inch touch screen. Is there anything else you need to know about the truck, or are you good?"

She sighed, slumping down into the _very_ comfortable leather seat.

"I think I'm good. Thank you for the help, sir."

"My pleasure, ma'am. Have a safe journey!"

And with that, he left the cab, closing the door on his way out. The instant it shut, Weiss was encased in silence. The cabin of the truck completely quiet, devoid of even the rumble of the truck's comparatively small engine. She reached over and rotated the knob into drive. The truck didn't lurch, and it didn't buck. She lifted her foot from the brake, and the truck glided smoothly forward out of it's parking spot. She checked her mirrors, making sure the dolly cleared the red Commander she was parked next to, before turning towards the exit of the parking structure. The automatic gate lifted for her, and she pulled the large truck into traffic.

 _It's familiar. Hmm._

 _/.../_

Weiss leaned against the fender. She was still tired from her flight. Thirteen gods-forsaken hours in a cramped, pressurized tube, filled with crying babies, annoying passengers, and shitty alcohol. She shuddered, sliding her hands into her hoodie's large front pocket. They collided with the small cardstock package she kept in there. Her body needed it. It had been screaming for it for the last _four fucking hours._ She groaned. Fuck the law about not smoking on planes. And fuck the fine print in the truck's rental agreement. _All vehicles in the Starlight fleet are non-smoking. Customers who break this rule may be required to pay for cleaning or replacement of the vehicle._ Weiss scoffed. Should she need it, she could replace this truck a thousand times over. But she also knew that she would likely not be allowed to rent again. She slumped down against the chromed bodywork.

 _Fuck you, me. You're a piece of shit._

She pulled the packet out of her hoodie, flicking it open. A few taps on the top of the package brought forth her shameful habit. She brought the package up to her mouth, pulling one of the paper tubes out between her lips. It made her want to scream, but _not_ doing this would have been worse. If it was anyone's fault she did this, it was Whitley's secret girlfriend's fault. She had come over the night before Weiss had left for Mistral, offering her a smoke. She had taken it, of course. But it hadn't made her feel any better then. And it wasn't making her feel any better now.

This was all _her_ fault. ' _Have a smoke, it helps you chill out',_ she had said, so arrogantly. Weiss was beginning to detest this woman. Maybe father was right. She was very bad for him, and now she was bad for _her_ by extension. Her hands shook. She knew she shouldn't have taken the smoke, but she didn't want to seem rude, even if it was to Whitley's mean, tarty girlfriend. But blaming this on her was doing little to ease the bad feeling that grew inside her.

She placed the package on the tall hood of the truck, pulling her lighter from her back pocket. Her hands came up to her mouth. They felt like they were fighting her every inch of the way up. Should she let them fall? The flint struck, turning the end of the cigarette red. She drew the foul, odorous smoke into her lungs. It calmed her only a little. Her hands shook as she brought the sinful stick out of her mouth and exhaled, pooling the smoke around her face.

 _You are scum._

She spat onto the ground. Three weeks. Three _fucking_ weeks. And now she smoked. She felt useless. She had abandoned all her common sense for what? Love? No, fuck that. There was never love. She couldn't be loved. She was stupid, impulsive, and addicted. Nobody could love that. Especially not someone so destroyed.

 _You ruined it. She was perfect for you and you ruined it._

She took another long drag at her cigarette. It really wasn't helping any more. She yelled, ripping the still-lit cigarette from her mouth and whipping it to the ground. Her right foot came down hard on it, grinding away the paper and tobacco into the pavement with her boot. She stamped down on it again. It made her angry. Her head whipped around, looking at the cigarette package. _Smoking increases the likelihood of lung cancer._ She grabbed the packet, crushing it in her hand. She turned, and tossed it across the parking lot with all her might. It sailed through the air, landing on the other end of the lot. She huffed a few times, clenching her fists, and staring at the abandoned packet. Fucking lung cancer.

 _Fucking lung cancer._

She leaned against the truck again, tears coming to her face. Pyrrha hadn't died of cancer. She had been _killed_ by cancer. Dying implied a fight that could be won. Pyrrha _had_ fought. But the cancer had _brutally_ destroyed her. She had been _killed._ And now, Weiss was willingly damaging her lungs, making her perfectly good lungs just like Pyrrha's, who had been born as such. Weiss turned, wrapping her fingers around the truck's polished chromed door handle, yanking it open. The automatic running boards dropped down, but not not quickly enough as Weiss whacked her shin on it, cursing loudly and climbing up into the leather-wrapped cab. She went to pull the door shut, but only got halfway before her hand slipped from the chromed inside handle. The door fell softly closed, only half latched. Weiss reached for it again, but before she could, a little motor whirred, and the door closed and latched itself. Weiss sniffed.

 _Neat._

She closed her eyes, resting her hands on the steering wheel. It was cold. She sighed deeply, prodding the start button again. The motor rumbled into life quietly in front of her. She opened her eyes again, reaching down and twisting the gear selector knob into gear. She paused for a moment, her hands shaking. She reached for the touchscreen, wanting to turn on the radio. Except she didn't. It would be three-thirty in the afternoon back home in Atlas at this hour. And that meant it was time for her radio show.

 _No. We are not doing this._

She refused to touch the radio. She slammed her right foot onto the accelerator. The well-baffled engine rumbled and the tires chirped, but the traction-control system cut in and the truck pulled smoothly forward across the empty parking lot. She sighed, turning the truck back towards the on-ramp, getting up to speed and getting back into the slow lane. She set the cruise control.

 _Just an hour left. Then we collect her car._

She pined, remembering the reason she was buying this car in the first place. It was _Ruby's_ dream car. Why did she have to be such a piece of shit? Not that it mattered. The car itself had already been purchased. She was just collecting it, and driving it all the way to the Shiroibara shipping yard, and having it sent by boat back to Atlas, where it was just going to collect dust in the Schnee Manor garage. She leaned against the centre console on her elbow, prodding the heated seat icon on the huge touch screen. Almost immediately she could feel it warming her posterior. It helped to remind her that _some_ things were still warm. Unlike her heart, she felt.

 _Why are you even buying this car? You don't even like cars. You hypocrite. Didn't you tell her directly that you hated Vacuan cars? Scum._

She tried to push herself out of her head. She was being a real asshole to herself. She wanted this car for herself. So what if it was _Ruby's_ dream car? The way she described it made this car seem more than just a simple green RRS coupe. It was a magical car, apparently. She needed to know what it felt like.

 _You still don't like cars, dickhead._

Why not, though? She always found the car portion of _her_ show to be very interesting, and she seemed always to know an unnerving amount of technical knowledge about cars in any given situation. Something about her stupid devotion to that radio show. Stupid, _stupid,_ reckless, crazy devotion to that girl had made her this way. She had so incredibly incorporated herself into that girl's life, she had unintentionally become a car girl. And now she was buying a car-person's car. She checked her mirror, seeing a blue blur approaching from behind. The car flew past in the outside lane. Any layman would have just said ' _hey, look at that Valean muscle car.'_ But Weiss was no layman, much to her own chagrin. It didn't help that she had _just_ bought her own, even if she had been hammered at the time and didn't even remember doing so.

 _Nineteen-sixty-five Sanus Stallion 290. Oh look at thaaaat, you know caaars. Want a cookie?_

She groaned. Ruby had one of those cars at her father's house in Patch, sitting under a tarp. She had seen it a few times while visiting them, and had always been impressed by the rust-free frame, and mostly completed interior. Yang once told her that their father would one day finish restoring it, and it would be worth something to the effect of _a hundred thousand lien._ Talk about a retirement plan...

 _You could buy seven hundred more of them with just what's in your bank account right this second. This is why she doesn't love you. You flaunt your wealth, like a cunt._

Weiss's left hand squeezed down on the thick leather of the steering wheel. She poked her right index finger into the ON button that sat next to the touchscreen's radio controls, cranking the volume slider up to the max. The truck's enormously powerful stereo system was happy to oblige.

 _~-VRYYY BODY HUUURTS! AND EEEEVRYYY BODY CRYYYYYS. EEEEVRY BODY HUUUUURTS...SOOOMETIIII-~_

Weiss poked the channel select button. The music faded out, before fading back in again.

~- _IGHT WHEN IT'S BURNING LOW! ONLY MISS THE SUN WHEN IT STARTS TO SNO-OW. ONLY KNOW YOU LOVE HER WHEN YOU LET HER GO...AND YOU LET HER GO-OO-~_

Weiss let out a pitiful laugh, hitting the channel select button again.

~ _NUTHING CAN TAKE AWAY THESE BLU-UES, ah 'cause NOOOOTHING COMPARES...nuh-THING COM-PARES... TOOYOUUU!~_

"Oh, fuck off with that shit!"

Weiss jammed her finger into the ON button again, silencing the radio for good. Waste of good money this radio was, only playing ironically sad songs. Weiss felt actually angry from that. She felt like she needed to have finished that cigarette. She slumped down in her seat, revelling in the heated bum and back she now had. This truck was very nice, and it seemed to be the only nice thing she had had in a while. She made a mental note to buy one of these when she got back to Atlas. It would make a suitable replacement for the Klasse-7 she had smashed. She _missed_ that car.

She sighed, leaning over again in the seat. She really hated that she couldn't smoke in the cab. She also hated the fact she had taken up smoking. What a foul and disgraceful habit. She hated _everything._

" _In one and a half kilometres, take the ramp number seventy-eight to the city of Haven."_

Weiss jumped, looking around the cab. Who had just said that? The sound had come from somewhere under her elbow. She pulled up on the cover on the centre console and looked down into it. There sat the GPS, still turned on, illuminating the deep bin. She reached down into it and pulled it out, dropping the console lid and putting the GPS in one of the truck's plus-size cupholders.

She disabled the cruise control, pulling the truck into the slow lane again and reduced her speed. She did a quick mirror check, still seeing the edges of the wheel dolly behind the back of the truck, indicating that it was still hitched up. The exit approached. She flicked the left-side stalk upward, and the truck _bong_ 'd softly at her to indicate that she was indicating. _Mighty indicative, wasn't it_ , she thought. She pulled onto the off ramp, slowing down to the traffic light at the top of the hill. The light was red.

 _And now we're here. Are you ready to be more scum?_

Weiss closed her eyes. She refused to let her get to herself. Besides, that car wasn't the _only_ reason she had come here. As much as she didn't want to admit it, she was here to see a psychologist at her brother's suggestion. And that made her mad. She reached slowly over to the touchscreen, tapping the _Vehicle Settings_ tab along the side of the screen. A little animated diagram of the truck came onto the screen. It indicated that the traction control system was still active. She prodded the screen, and the gauge cluster and interior mood lighting turned red. She could feel the truck lowering down on its air suspension. _No more anger, please_ , she thought to herself, returning her hands to her the steering wheel. Today she was going to buy a car. A _nice_ car. Something to tool around with on sunny days. It had nothing to do with her relationship. Or rather, her _ex-_ relationship.

 _Even Tanya and Scott had a more functional relationship than you._

Weiss wrenched her eyes open. The light turned green. Her right foot found the floorboards.

The tires burned.

/.../

She rolled the truck to a stop, just at the corner of a tree'd over driveway. The little gated suburb was very quaint and quiet, and every lawn had trees covering them. It felt like all of the little bungalows were actually built deep in the woods, despite being only a few minutes off the highway. She hit the Start button again, silencing the quiet engine She pulled as slowly as she could on the truck's chrome inner door handle, and the door swung slowly, weighted down by probably three-hundred pounds of leather and wood trim. She waited this time for the electric powered running boards to descend before stepping down onto the street.

The air was warm, and the wind flowed slowly around her. It was nice, she thought as she began the slow journey up the driveway. A dark grey Atlas AG GSi sat quietly to one side of the drive, under the canopy of a large juniper tree. Weiss examined the car for a second. Custom magnesium wheels, lowered suspension, custom-looking exhaust, and super sticky tires. Whoever owned this car knew a thing or two about racing, she thought, having a glance in the window.

 _Hello._

Weiss's eyebrows raised. In place of the car's original seat was a deep bucket seat with harnesses, and the car's steering wheel sat up on the dashboard, disconnected from it's quick-release bracket on the column. But those would have been common on any racing car. This was not what had caught her eye, however. There was no pedals down in the footwell. The car had _hand controls_. The large aluminum control system's handle stuck out of the car's dashboard on the left of the column, complete with little hand-written labels indicating which direction was the brake and which way was the throttle. She leaned away from the little grey hatchback, looking up at the bungalow. Her heart fluttered. If this was the car the seller _currently_ drove, she was excited to see the car they _used_ to drive. She moved up to the front door. Her hand came up to the face of the door, balled in a fist. She went to knock.

 _Remember. You're buying Ruby's dream car for yourself._

Her hand stopped millimetres from the door. She shut her eyes and turned her head down to her feet. She looked back over her shoulder at the white pickup she had arrived in. Weiss knew she could just leave. There sat her escape. Four hundred horsepower, six-thousand-pound, leather-wrapped escape. _No, I need to do this._ She knew she needed to overcome this anger and self deprication.

She knocked on the door. There was silence. Weiss stumbled back a few inches, her legs trembling. Yes, the instant that door opened, she was doomed. She had drove all this way, with the express purpose of buying this stupid little car for her own collection simply because Ruby mentioned watching this car race up a mountain and win an impossible race against a super car. It, to Ruby, was a symbol that any challenge could be overcome. That no matter the problem, there was always a solution. And what she _wanted_ was a solution to her problem.

 _That's such a lie. There's no solving you._

Weiss dropped her hand, and was about to turn around. The door opened. She opened her eyes. Beyond the door frame stood a young woman, no older than she was. She had short, shoulder-length dark green hair, which framed her olive-toned face like fine silk curtains. She wore a smile, a green t-shirt and a pair of sand-coloured cargo shorts. She opened her mouth to speak.

"H-h-he-hell-h-h-ello, y—y-y-you m-must be-e W-Weiss."

Weiss's eye twitched. The girl seemed to have a nasty stutter. Not that it was a bad thing. Weiss decided to be patient. There was no point in forcing someone who was nervous to speak quickly. She extended her hand, and the girl eagerly shook it.

"Yes, that's me. It's a pleasure to meet you."

"Th-th-the p-plea-plllleasure i-is a-all m-mm-mine. M-mmy nnn-n-na-ame is E-E-Emerald S-Sustra-ai. Pl-p-ple-ease c-come in."

Weiss smiled, and stepped slowly through the door. She removed her boots and placed them on the little mat by the door.

"Y-y-yo-you do-on't n-nn-ne-need t-to w-www-wr-worr-y ab-ab-a-abou-t y-your sh-shh-oes in h-h-here. W-w-we're g-gg-g-o-oing i-in thhh-the ga-ar-age."

Weiss smiled softly, slipping her feet back into her boots, and standing out of the way so Emerald could lead her to the garage. But she didn't just _walk_ to the garage. There was a _tap-thump_ sound that she made as she moved. Weiss looked over, confused. She was taken briefly aback, but she hid her surprise well. The girl moved on crutches, swinging her legs between them. Well. That certainly explained why her car had hand controls.

 _She does have nice legs, though._

Weiss angrily looked away. Nope. Not happening. She followed the hobbling girl just around the corner and through the door that lead into the garage. There was a large tarp covering a very small car. Emerald clicked a button on the wall and the garage door opened upward nearly seamlessly. She leaned over on her crutches, slipping her hands out of the wrist guards.

"S-ss-o-orr-y ab-aa-ab-ou-about th-the st-st-stt-sstu-utt-er. A-aan-and th-the l-l-imp."

Weiss held her hands out in front of her, showing that she didn't mind.

"It's no issue."

"Y-yy-eah. I-I-I u-used t-tt-o b-be n-or-orma-al. B-ut I-I h-ha-ad a c-cr-ash d-du-ring a-a r-rr-a-ace."

She put her hands on the edge of the tarp. Weiss walked to the other side of the car, gripping her fingers into the tarp fabric. Together, they pulled the large sheet back over the bodywork, revealing the lithe green coupe that she had come all this way for. She took a step back. It was a little dusty, but otherwise immaculate.

"A race? As in like, circuit racing?"

The other woman nodded, smiling and chuckling softly. She slid her hand back into the wrist guards of her crutches, hobbling over to the front of the car.

"Y-yy-yeah. I-I g-g-go-got a pl-lace-ment o-on a r-ra-acing t-tt-tea-eam r-ri-ight ou-out o-of hi-i-igh sc-schoo-ool. O-on T-t-ea-eam S-S-S-Sun R-r-ra-acing."

Weiss turned her head and looked over at the woman.

"SSSN Racing, as in owned and operated by _Sun Wukong?"_

The girl nodded, smiling brightly.

"Th-th-the v-vv-ve-ery s-s-ss-sa-ame! H-h-he w-ww-a-as m-my b-b-bo-boss."

Weiss smiled.

"Actually he's dating my old teammate. Haven't seen either of them since... well, it's not important, though. Small world, eh?"

They both chuckled together. Weiss began examining the car, walking around to the passenger side. The dark, mysterious green paintwork was really quite beautiful in the late-morning light as it reflected her legs and the collection of cardboard boxes that lined the edge of the small-ish garage. The paintwork was certainly immaculate, with no ripples or overspray marks. If a little dusty. She wiped her finger through the grime.

"The paint looks like it has a factory finish."

Emerald _tap-thump'_ d her way around to the other side of the car, leaning on her left-side crutch.

"I-i-t's a-aac-act-ually c-cu-ustom. I-i-iit u-use-used t-to b-bbe bla-ack. Y-ou'll s-ss-s-ee wh-whe-when wh-whe-we p-ppo-op th-the h-ood. I kn-kne-knew a-a g-guy wh-who did c-c-cu-usto-om p-ai-ain-aintjobs."

Weiss ran her hand along the gently sloping hood. Her hand came to a stop on the lid of the left-side pop-up headlight, which was currently folded down. The car sat _very_ low on it's springs, so the edge of the hood was only to her knees. It was certainly sleek. She looped her fingers into the hood-pins and pulled them free of their retainers. The hood popped up slightly on the latch spring. Weiss lifted it up. It was considerably lighter than she was expecting. The quilted carbon underside of the hood indicated exactly why. It was made entirely of carbon fibre. She looked down at the motor. Yes, she had researched this car before buying it and had seen a few others for sale in Atlas, but what lay under the hood of _this_ car was vastly different than the other _regular_ six-cylinder powered Hunter RRS Coupes.

"What am I seeing here? This seems different than a normal RRS."

The girl scratched the back of her head, looking sheepish.

"Y-yeah i-i-it's a-a l-ll-li-little m-mo-o-odified."

A little? Weiss knew the car was certainly more than stock, but this was even more than she expected. There was aluminum everywhere, and everything was neat and tidy, with all the wires in little rubber separators and the exhaust neatly wrapped in heat bandage. Nothing was polished, but is was all there, and it all looked like it came straight off a racing car. Well, technically that was correct.

"What sort of engine even is that? It looks a little far from factory."

"I-it's n-no-ot. Th-the-o-on-only thi-ing tha-at's s-ss-st-stock i-i-is th-e dis-dis-di-displ-acement. Thr-ee l-li-litres. E-ev-everyth-th-i-ing el-els-ss-se i-is c-custom."

Weiss nodded, crossing her arms and walking around to the back of the little squared-off coupe. She placed her hand on the little factory-adjustable spoiler on the trunk lid. When they were stock, these cars only had about two hundred horsepower, and were _reasonably_ quick when they were new in the mid-eighties. She reached into her pocket again, pulling out her glasses and slipping them on. She looked down at the adjustment screws on the wing.

"How much power does it make?"

"F-f-fo-our hu-hu-hund-dred."

Weiss cocked her eyebrows. That was certainly an improvement over standard. She stood up again, circling around to the driver's side again and examining the car's magnesium six-spoke rims. They looked like they cost somewhere around two or three grand _apiece_.

"Impressive. Did you build all this yourself?"

Emerald scoffed, smiling.

"I-I w-ww-wish. I c-c-cou-couldn-nn-n't h-h-have d-don-done thi-is wh-whi-ith m-my l-lli-imited s-sskill. N-nno, m-my b-bb-bo-oyfrie-end b-built it y-yy-years a-ag-go, wh-when I-I s-ss-sti-ill r-ra-acing ill-illeg-gally."

Weiss pulled the car's driver's side door, peering inside and touching the seats. They were Alcantara, and they looked kinda uncomfortable. Well, they _were_ racing seats.

"Yeah, you mentioned racing. And a crash, you said?"

Emerald's cheery smile dropped from her face. Oh no, has she struck a nerve?

"I'm sorry, is that a sore subject?"

"N-no. N-not a-a-anymo-ore, an-anyway. I-it h-hha—appened wh-whe-en I-I w-ww-worked f-for S-S-S-Sun R-Racing."

Weiss discontinued her inspection of the interior.

"What happened?"

"I-I ww-was d-do-doing s-ss-s-o-ome qu-qua-alifying l-laps i-in a n-new p-pr-prototy-type Ki-Kinkaid Sc-sc-sceptre GT. I-I g-g-go-got u-up to a h-hu-hundre-ed a-and ei-eighty m-mi-iles a-an h-hour, a-and wh-whe-when I-I hi-hi-hit th-the bra-ake a-at th-the e-end o-of b-ba-ack str-rai-aight, a-and one o-of th-the c-cr-cra-appy br-ra-ass f-fi-fitt-ings i-in th-the f-f-fr-ront br-rakes b-bl-blew o-ou-out."

Weiss leaned against the side of the car, her eyes wide.

"Holy fuck, what happened? Are you okay?"

Emerald chuckled, her smile returning.

"Y-yeah, I-I'm g-g-go-good n-no-now. Th-the c-ca-ar fa-ailed t-to s-ss-sto-stop, a-as y-yo-you'd ha-ave g-gu-uessed. I-I h-hh-hit th-the w-wa-all d-d-deep i-in th-the i-inf-field, a-and m-mo-ost o-of th-the c-car c-co-col-lapsed _o-on t-to m-my b-bo-bod-dy._ I-I n-no-o longer h-ha-have n-ne-erve e-end-dings i-in m-my l-ll-e-legs, a-and a b-br-bra-ain he-emorrhage f-fr-ro-om wh-whe-ere th-the e-en-engine i-impa-acted m-my h-he-head. He-ence th-the cr-ru-utches a-and st-stu-utt-ter."

Well. Talk about a bad crash. Weiss Leaned against the car, imagining the crumpled wreck. That certainly explained why the GSi had hand controls in it, she figured.

"Y-yeah. I-I d-do-don't r-rr-ra-ace a-any m-mmore, s-so th-tha-at's wh-why I-I'm ss-se-sel-elling th-the c-car."

Weiss nodded absently, a little shaken up by the story. _Poor Emerald,_ she thought. This girl had spent thousands of dollars modifying her car, countless days and nights perfecting her skills, her craft and for what? A two dollar piece of brass to completely ruin everything? Weiss turned her head when she hear the other girl sigh. Her cheerful expression had fallen, this time all the way off. Her green hair pooled around her face like a shield, hiding her. She knew what that look meant. It was deep-seated sadness. It was the look of someone who had worked so hard to build everything up, only for it all to come crashing down around them. It was a feeling she herself was all too familiar with. The other woman turned away, and the air in the garage was suddenly stagnant. Weiss got up off the side of the car, stepping slightly away. Emerald's ability to fake happiness was certainly endearing, considerably better at it than she was. Speaking of, Emerald's face lifted, and smiled at her, pointing at the source of both her sorrow and her jubilance.

"S-So y-you w-wa-ant t-to d-dri-ive y-yo-our c-car?"

Weiss smiled, nodding slowly.

"Absolutely I would."

/.../

"I am _not_ going to get used to this clutch, I swear."

She had only been driving the car for twenty or so minutes and had already stalled four times. She pushed the extraordinarily stiff pedal to the floor, reaching over again to the switch panel in the centre of the car. She flicked the ignition off then on again, prodding the starter button next to it. The car's tightly-wound V-six barked into life again, settling into a low but raucous idle. Emerald laughed at her again.

"I-If i-it m-ma-akes a d-di-ifference I-I w-ou-ould -ha-have s-ss-sta-alled as w-well. B-be-ecause m-my l-le-egs d-don't w-wo-ork."

"Yeah, but I still feel bad about it! I've been driving stick since I was sixteen!"

Weiss very slowly pulled out the clutch, waiting for the car to slide forward. The clutch bit in hard, rocking the car forward around past the stop sign. She pushed the accelerator, and the car began to pick up speed rather _disconcertingly_ quickly. She made a concerned sound, popping the clutch and pulling the gearstick into second gear. The throws in the gearbox were exceptionally short, but incredibly precise. The whole car vibrated from the engine's revving. She popped the car up into third. Every time she let the clutch out the car shook.

"Y-yo-uo're sh-sho-short sh-shifting. T-ta-ach i-it u-up t-to n-ni-ine o-or t-ten thousand."

Short shifting? She had been shifting at five-thousand! The Klasse-7 she drove on a daily basis never revved above sixty-five hundred! Weiss tried her luck, popping the car down to second. The engine chirped at her, spinning back up to the little _six_ marking on the car's over-sized tachometer.

"You're sure?"

Emerald smiled, covertly pulling the straps on her racing harness a little tighter.

"G-go f-fo-or it."

Weiss pushed her right foot right to the floor. The front tires didn't squeal. They _dug in_ , pulling the car forward with a relentless force. She watched the tachometer climb up over seven. Then eight. Then _nine._ She kept her foot planted. The motor kept screaming and kept accelerating, even as the little red needle touched and then _exceeded_ ten-thousand RPM. Holy _fuck_ was this little car fast. She popped in the clutch and effortlessly found third gear in the car's tight, mechanical transmission. She pressed her foot down on the accelerator once again. The motor exploded in a cacophony of sound, pulling _even harder_ up to ten-thousand RPM a second time. Ruby was right. It really did sound like a superbike, and it really didn't drive like a front-wheel-drive car at all. It felt almost physics-defying. Weiss looked down at the speedometer.

"Oh fuck, we're going it jail..."

Weiss mashed the middle pedal, and the car _immediately_ tried to toss her and Emerald through the windshield. The exhaust crackled and backfired, banging flames loudly out the rear pipe. Their harness held them in place. Weiss grunted, slamming her back against the seat as she released the brake. The harness felt a little tight over her chest, but she knew it was there for specifically for this reason. Her passenger was laughing.

"H-ow f-ff-fa-ast w-was th-at?"

Weiss chuckled nervously, popping the gearbox up into fifth, silencing the loud engine.

"Uh, two-hundred and ten kilometres an hour? How the heck does this car stop so quickly?"

Her passenger looked suitably impressed.

"W-well th-then. I-I d-on't th-thi-ink th-the c-car's be-been th-that f-ffa-ast i-in years. A-and i-it has c-ca-carbon cer-ramic b-brakes."

"My car has carbon ceramics, and it doesn't stop anywhere _near_ this quickly."

Emerald snickered at her, shifting around in her seat.

"Y-yeah, o-of c-co-ourse n-not. Th-this c-car weighs s-ss-o-omthing l-like ha-alf as m-mu-uch."

Weiss popped the car down into third again, pulling out around another car, the engine pulling seamlessly and _loudly_ around the grey minivan that was occupying the lane. The speed made Weiss laugh, it was just too excellent for words.

"How much exactly?"

"Ab-out ei-eighte-een hu-undred p-ounds dr-ry. I-it's n-nineteen n-ninety w-with m-me in i-it w-with a-all flu-uids to-opped up. 'Ra-ace prepped, i-it's j-just sh-shh-shy o-of two-th-thou-sand."

Holy shit, that was light weight. Less than a tonne, in metric measurements. Well, most of the bodywork _was_ carbon fibre. And the 'glass' in the car was actually all lightweight plastic. Needless to say, Weiss was quite impressed. They had arrived back around to Emerald's street again, and Weiss gave the car one last good go, before slowing down and pulling back into the driveway and silencing the motor.

"Right. Lets go and sort out the paperwork."

/.../

Weiss sipped her tea and tapped her pen against the table. Her file folder sat open in front of her, with documents strewn all over. She grabbed the one next to her right hand, pulling it over to the centre. It was titled ' _Proof of Change of Insurance_ '. She read over it, finding all the lines to sign on. She clicked open the pen with her left thumb, scribbling the overly elegant _W. Schnee_ onto the first line.

"So tell me about this mysterious car-building boyfriend of yours, Em."

Emerald turned from her spot at the counter, her own cup of tea in her hand. She took a sip, smiling as she placed her cup on the counter.

"W-what, Mercury? H-he's n-no-ot my-mysterious. H-he's j-just at w-work, today."

Weiss chuckled, flicking some of her messy bangs from her eyes and adjusting her glasses.

"His name is Mercury? Cute."

"Sh-shut up!"

They laughed together at this little outburst. Emerald sighed, smiling and turning to the little cabinet next to the refrigerator. She pulled a little picture frame from inside, using her hands to support her on the counter. She hobbled over to the table, unassisted by her crutches which sat abandoned on the other side of the room. She had explained that she still could walk _sort of,_ but it required an intense amount of concentration. Emerald pulled out a chair and sat down with her at the table. She handed over the photograph.

"F-first, y-you're g-go-onna n-need some b-ba-ackstory."

Weiss took the photo, and examined the group of people in the picture. There was Emerald, off to one side, dressed in a brown hoodie and a green mini-skirt, standing next to a boy of about her age, with grey-dyed hair and a navy-blue set of mechanic's coveralls on. He stood using a pair of crutches that seemed eerily similar to Emerald's current ones. Then, there was a woman with raven-black hair and _gorgeous_ amber eyes, who Weiss recognized as Cinder, one of Pyrrha's friends from Haven. She had been at the hospital that night, and had attended the funeral as well. Weiss winced. Next to Cinder was...wait, was that _Ren?_

"Is...this Lie Ren?"

"I-I'll g-get to h-him in a s-se-econd. S-see the g-irl in th-the m-mi-middle? Th-that's Cinder. Sh-she w-was o-our s-star dri-iver. Sh-she dr-rove the wh-white T-Ter-minal GT-S w-we're a-all lea-eaning on. C-compl-letely u-untoucha-able sk-kill."

"I remember that car, it was at the hospital..."

Emerald made a pained expression.

"Y-yeah. A-anyway w-we were a-a s-ss-stee-eet racing t-team wh-who dr-rove the _S-S-Suimin H-ho-otel_ pass l-late a-at night. M-Mercury w-w-wa-as our me-ech-anic, he-ence the c-co-overalls. W-we g-go-ot our p-parts fr-rom th-this gu-uy named R-Roman. H-he w-was the a-ad-doptave f-fa-ather t-to the p-pink ha-aired g-gi-girl n-ne-ext to R-Ren."

Weiss nodded, placing the photograph down on the table.

"What do you mean 'was' her adoptive dad?"

Emerald winced. Oh no, that certainly wasn't good.

"Y-you rem-member th-the f-fa-all of B-Beacon?"

There wasn't a day that went by that she didn't think about it. She nodded slowly.

"H-he wa-as there. H-he was a-a g-go-good h-huntsman. B-but n-no am-amou-ount o-of sk-ski-skill c-can s-st-stop a-a wh-who-ole siege o-of Gr-G-Griffons b-by o-on-one's s-se-elf. H-he died, a-and n-now sh-she's a-all alone."

The air in the kitchen was suddenly stagnant. Weiss looked at the picture again. The short, pink-haired girl had the most joyful smile on her face, her heterochromatic eyes shining in the flashbulb's light. She looked so _young._ Poor thing. Weiss pined, as she knew there was nothing she could do. Emerald's green eyes were glazed over, as if in thought. Weiss sighed.

"Ye-eah. A-anyway, yo-ou pro-obaby knew th-tha-at Ren l-left sch-chool a-after fi-irst ye-ear wh-hen h-his pa-arents' co-ompany mo-oved off-off-ices t-to Mi-istral."

Weiss nodded, again. She remembered. Pyrrha's team had been one of the strongest in the school, save for one member. She winced, remembering _him._ That was not important for now. She pushed it to the back of her head. And after first year, Ren had left, travelling here to Mistral to literally run the west coast division of Lie Industries. After all, he _was_ one of her business... associates. They met for coffee the first of every month. He was a good friend.

"Y-yeah, h-he a-and C-Cinder ac-act-actually d-dated fo-or a wh-hile. N-not tha-at they kn-knew the-ey were to-ogether. Bu-ut there w-was a l-lo-ot of aw-awk-ward mo-oments. S-so j-just be-efore th-the V-Vytal Fes-estival, we-e ca-ame to Vale f-for a bi-it of r-ra-acing, a-and I g-got pi-icked up by _DRE,_ wh-which la-ater bec-ame S-SS-Sun R-Racing. Th-then th-the Fa-all happened. Ci-inder m-ade a 'ta-actical e-error' a-and sl-lept wi-th that bl-lond gu-uy, a-and n-now sh-she's a-a m-mom. M-Mercury j-joined the a-army a-after the F-fall, a-and N-Neo sta-ayed in Va-ale. I-I think sh-she's a t-te-eacher there n-now or s-s-something."

 _Blond guy?_ Weiss clenched her fists under the table. She had overheard something about Cinder's child when she had been speaking to Pyrrha that night in the hospital room. And Pyrrha had seemed awful disgusted by who the father was. Well, so had Cinder, for that matter. Now she had put the pieces together. That blatant motherfucker had both _destroyed_ Ruby and had made a young woman into a mother _well_ before she was ready. Oh he was going to _pay._

"So I notice that Mercury's wearing crutches in this picture. How did he get into the army?"

"Th-they ga-ave him c-cool r-ro-obot l-ll-e-legs. Bu-ut he s-ss-till n-nee-eeds ha-and controls i-in his car."

"Oh, that's his car? I assumed it was yours, actually."

Emerald sighed, slumping in her chair.

"Ye-eah, i-it's n-not. I-I ca-an't dr-ri-ive a-any-ymore. N-no, M-Mercury g-got a d-dr-ri-rive t-to w-work t-today."

Weiss sipped her tea again, trying to imagine what a man with cool robot legs would do for a regular job. Maybe a soccer coach?

"What does he do for a living?"

"S-security g-a-aurd a-at th-the thea-eatre."

"What about you?"

Emerald looked over at her, her red eyes shining in the light.

"C-clo-ose yo-our e-eyes."

Weiss obeyed.

"Open them."

Weiss opened them. She gasped, a little shocked. The kitchen was gone, replaced by a small mahogany-panelled office. Filled bookshelves lined the walls. Weiss looked down at her chair, seeing that it had been replaced by a large leather arm chair.

"What the hell is this? _How_ the hell is this?"

The highbacked chair behind the desk in front of her spun around. In it sat Emerald, suddenly dressed in a dark green dressy blouse, and a stark white lab coat. Her green hair was tied back and her red-coloured eyes were hidden by a pair of thick-rimmed glasses. She smiled, her lovely olive skin even more smoothed than it had been a moment ago.

"I'm a behavioural therapist. My semblance allows me to create illusions, which I use to help patients suffering from post traumatic stress disorder. It allows me to create situations in the minds of sufferers, which assists in the recovery process."

Weiss leaned back in her chair, frowning.

"What happened to your stutter?"

Emerald smiled and stood up, calmly walking around to the other side of the desk, sitting up upon it and crossing her legs. Her long, elegant, brown-skinned legs were considerably more toned and muscled than they had been when she had opened the door in those brown cargo shorts. Weiss shuddered, pushing the _deliciously_ foul-tasting thoughts from her head.

"It's part of the illusion. I can make people see, hear, feel, smell, and taste anything they want or need. I am licensed and I have my doctorate. It's hanging up on the wall in the kitchen, actually. Now, before you ask, I don't use my semblance to talk normally because it requires a lot of concentration and makes me incredibly tired."

Weiss closed her mouth. She was in fact going to ask. She tried not to stare at fake-Emerald's legs.

"Here's what I'm getting at. After the Fall, Mercury joined the Mistrailian Marines, where he acquired his 'bitching cool robot legs', as he put it. Then, on his first mission...well..."

Emerald stopped talking, her face talking on a more sombre expression. She tapped her fingernails loudly against the thick wooden desk.

"He, uh..."

She sniffled, her illusion quivering for a moment. The lights in the room flickered, briefly fading, before strengthening again.

"There was a Bullhead crash. He was on it. Everyone else perished in the crash, except for him. He was ejected before the aircraft hit the ground. He watched the craft burn with his squad still inside."

Weiss gasped. She couldn't believe what she was hearing. The illusion flickered again, but Emerald kept it stable. Her face was pained. A solitary tear ran down her olive cheek, staining it a deeper brown. Weiss wanted to cry.

"H-he suffers from PTSD. I-I got m-my doctorate in behavioural psychology so that I could help him. He _needed_ me. After I gave up racing I fell into a very dark place, Weiss."

Her legs uncrossed, and she stood up from the desk, her fake-legs quivering. She had to support herself.

"I-I t-tho-ought that m-maybe... since _I_ had been denied my dream... well..."

Weiss stood up from the chair, and the illusion vanished. The kitchen was back, and Emerald was once again slumped against the counter. She had a subtle, hidden pain in her face, masked by the exhaustion from the illusion she had created. Weiss walked over and leaned against the counter with her. She needed to change the subject. Her heart panged. Something about all this seemed vaguely familiar...

"How does your relationship go otherwise?"

Emerald's tiny smile came back. She waved her hand, and the illusion returned.

"It's healthy. We make dinner together, we play video g-games, we c-cu-uddle in front of the television. It's a reasonable time. Sometimes he has...i-issues with his dreams c-co-oming back, so we do a lot of illusions as well."

Weiss nodded, distracted.

"So you have managed to get past your differences?"

Emerald waved her hand. She was now on the other side of the room as the illusion faded again, another picture in her hand. Weiss walked over and looked over her shoulder. It was just the two of them, standing together in a field. Emerald had on a frilly dress, and a straw hat, and Mercury was wearing tan pants and a white button-up shirt. They looked happy.

"Th-tha-at w-wa-as th-the la-ast time w-we were b-bo-oth 'n-normal'. B-efore th-the cr-rash, a-and be-fore... w-well hi-is cr-rash t-too."

Weiss smiled down at the picture. They looked like they could conquer the world together.

"S-so w-we s-sur-urvive. W-we he-elp each o-other. Wh-hen he h-as pro-oblems w-ith the dr-reams, I-I he-he-help. Wh-when I-I ha-ave pr-roble-ems with th-the de-depression, he-e ta-akes me o-out a-and we d-do c-car stu-uff. I-it's s-si-imple, I-I kn-know, b-but..."

Another wave of the hand, and the illusion came back. But it was different this time. Emerald stood there, in the dress from the little picture, her green hair long and braided, dropping over her right shoulder. The room was gone, replaced by the grassy field, filled with flowers.

"...We're broken, but that's okay. Together, we're fixed. Together, it's love. And it works."

Weiss smiled. Perhaps she could be like that. One day.

She had a few 'problems' to deal with first.

And now she had something to fight for.

She had to make a phone call.


	32. Chapter 32: Scar Tissue

Chapter 69

Waking up alone was easy for Ruby. She had done it pretty much every single day for the last five years of her life. The alarm would go off, she'd roll over and silence it, then get up begrudgingly and start her day. No one would be there to drag her back down, insist on cuddling, or be there to wake her up and bring coffee. It made her morning routine just that; routine. Everything was to a schedule, from the time it took to walk to the bathroom to the time the taste of toothpaste would go away at. It was timed so perfectly that she could finish her shower right as the coffee machine was beeping in the kitchen to alert her that it was finished. Having someone else there would only ruin her schedule.

 _However_ in the last few weeks of being at home, it was a refreshing change to have a very cuddly sister to wake up with. It put her at ease. It showed that _someone_ still cared, even if that person was Yang.

 _And what of Weiss?_

She frowned. Yes, what of Weiss? For four days on the road, she had slept next to the woman she had so quickly called her girlfriend. Well, it hadn't quite been a quick transition. They _had_ slept in the same bunkbed at Beacon, and that was four years straight of sleeping in very close proximity to each other.

 _And that was good?_

She sighed. It was. Having your best friend wake you up every morning with coffee, tea, croissants, or anything really was nice. Sweet. Something she was slowly realizing she might actually want. Weiss would _always_ have a big smile on in the mornings, and only ever for her. Blake and Yang would get the scowl and have to deal with the Ice Queen's ire. And it was some _powerful_ ire. Ruby had never once seen Weiss get upset at her. But if her words were as true as she had said, that was because she was in love.

 _She was._

"Shut up."

She rolled over, flinging the bedsheets away and sitting up at the edge of the bed. Her socked feet barely touched the carpet. She groaned. Her legs were numb from falling asleep with the previous day's coveralls on, as the belt around her waist had cut off the circulation. Her hands fumbled with the thick leather strap, pulling it free and letting it hang. She exhaled, finally able to take a _full_ breath. Not breathing was not fun. She sniffled.

"Ugh."

This had been a bad idea, as she could now smell the dirt and grime that she was apparently covered in still. It was like a mix of gasoline and coolant, which were in her opinion, the two worst smelling things in the world. Liking cars was one thing, but being covered in their bodily fluids was another. She stood up, letting her weigh onto her feet. Very brief vertigo overcame her as the blood rushed back southward, but she managed to not fall over.

 _Yeah, you need a shower._

"No kidding."

 _I can smell you from in here._

"What happened to shutting up?"

 _Never said I would. Get undressed._

"Fuck you."

A little angry, Ruby pulled the old mechanic's shirt open, tearing two of the cheap plastic buttons right out of the fabric. She tossed the dirty work shirt in the vague direction of the hamper in her corner. The pants came off next, hooking her thumbs into her socks and taking them off with the dirty grey work pants. They went the way of the shirt, bouncing off the wall and landing _near_ the hamper. She shrugged.

 _Nice shot._

She rolled her eyes. For once, the sun wasn't beating in through the windows. The rain, however, seemed to be trying to beat the windows _in._ It was torrential outside today. The darkness of her room was comfortable. Not lazer-like painful as it had been. She sighed, scratching a spot on the back of her head and moving slowly across the room to the door. Slowly, she pulled the door open. The sound of the sink in the kitchen barely loud enough to be heard over the rain on the roof, but she _could_ still hear it. Probably her dad, she figured. He got up early, just like she did. She resisted a yawn, crossing the hall carefully into the little bathroom and closing the door behind her. She reached for the light switch on the left of the door. Her hand hit the wall.

 _Other side, southpaw._

"Stop being an ass."

 _Sorry._

She grabbed the switch, lighting up the dim single wall light and sliding the little plastic slider down so the lights wouldn't blind her. She took the moment to stretch her arms over her head, hearing her spine shift as she rotated her torso. Everything on her body was sore enough to warrant stretching, but she found herself too lazy to do so. Her feet dragged on the floor as she moved over to the tiny shower, squeaking on the linoleum. She pulled the shower curtain aside and flipped the rotating knob into the on position, pulling her arm away quickly so the cold water didn't hit her. The curtain slid closed, the rungs scraping against the rod like nails on a chalkboard. Se winced.

 _So, what, like, are you gonna shower with your shirt still on?_

Ruby stopped, closing her eyes. Her right hand balled into a fist. She unclenched a moment later, turning to the mirror which had started to fog up from the steam in the shower. She smirked. She couldn't see herself anymore. Just like she wanted. She took the moment to pull the dirty t-shirt up over her head, scrunching it up in her hands but not putting it down. She sniffed, looking over at the wall. Condensation had started collecting on the dull grey paint, making her frown. Her dad didn't like when they used the shower and didn't turn the fan on, as it made water seep into the walls and ruin the wood. With a more precise arm than earlier, she turned and tossed the shirt at the wall, hitting the fan switch head on and starting up the noisy steam-sucker.

 _See? That was better!_

The voice went ignored this time. Ruby stood in the middle of the room for a moment the sound of the water in the shower hitting the bottom of the tub loud enough to drown it out. She slid the curtain out of the way again and checked the temperature against the back of her hand.

"Ay _oy 'sti câlisse!"_

She recoiled quickly and wiped the molten lava from her hand onto a nearby towel, biting her lip. She chuckled to herself one single laugh, realizing she had just swore like her dad did.

"I mean... ow."

She gingerly turned the temperature down, avoiding skin-to-water contact. Another tentative test. The water seemed alright. She stepped back.

 _Strip for me._

She rolled her eyes.

"I am you."

 _Do iiiiit_

She sighed down at herself.

"Whatever."

Her hands came up behind her back and unhooked the rather boring looking utility bra, that still held a few unused adhesive bandages and one single three millimetre Allen key in the right breast pocket. In the struggle she had yesterday in getting the intake from off the engine and onto the work bench, she had ripped the gas mask out of the left cup and now it was just dangling free. A shame. This bra had been the most comfortable one she had ever worn. She tossed it onto the counter without trying to fix it.

 _Be careful! That's not yours!_

No, it wasn't. It could be replaced if need be. She stood for a moment in only her underwear, standing at an awkward angle. After a beat, she straightened and pushed the non-matching boy-shorts down her legs and kicked them into the corner. Not wanting to just stand around, she quickly jumped into the shower and slid the curtain closed behind her.

"Ahh..."

 _Better?_

"Much."

The very warm water flowed over her like a pile of blankets fresh out of the dryer. She smiled, closing her eyes and tilting her face up into the flow. She held her breath and let the water bombard her face for a few moments, giving her nose and cheeks a soft scrubbing to try and clean out her pores. Doing so with dirty hands might not have been the best idea, but she didn't care. She felt good doing it. She turned face, letting the water flow into her hair and onto her scalp, worked in by her tired and barely awake hands.

 _So how did you sleep?_

"Mmm."

It had been okay, she figured. No nightmares this time, but the dream had been about something so mundane she could have possibly been afraid. The dream had been about living. Simple enough in concept, sure, with the little house and the little dog and the easy job to pay the minimal bills. She had been living with a faceless and androgynous spouse who wore a white t-shirt and white pants and nothing else. She had felt at ease at the _time,_ but now she just felt weird. The faceless person had a lot of Weiss in them, she thought. But more like first year at Beacon Weiss than the current one. The house had felt strange as well, as everything had been completely white, as if everything was made of blank printer paper. The view out the windows had also been of nothing but a white void. Everything at the time had seemed completely normal.

 _None of that sounds normal._

She sighed with a nod, some of the water flowing down her face and into her eyes. She was quick to wipe it away. It wasn't natural in hindsight. It was abnormal in every sense of the word. Perhaps it had been the vague representation of Weiss that had calmed her and made her feel like the experience was normal.

 _That seems okay to me._

She grabbed her toothbrush off the ledge next to her and stuck it handle-first between her teeth. She had to lean down to grab the tube of paste that had fallen onto the tub floor. Her hips ached as she did, groaning in pain from being forced into use after a long sleep. The taste of the pale green paste was strong enough to make her cringe, but it was all she had so it would have to do. She grabbed the shampoo bottle off the little suction-cup ledge near her elbow and cracked it open, squirting some of the clear green liquid directly onto her head.

 _Okay that was clearly too much._

"Fut uff. Don' faff me."

She held the toothbrush between her teeth and gave her head a vigorous scrubbing under the water, letting the suds slide down her back and down her legs.

 _That was like half the bottle!_

"Foo baff."

She pulled the toothbrush from her mouth, spitting the paste down at the drain near her feet. She hit the little silver circle dead on and smiled, holding her toothbrush upright and letting the shower wash the extra toothpaste out of it. Setting it down, she closed her eyes and leaned against the wall and let the water hit her in the chest and flow down her body. She lifted one of her arms half-heartedly and watched the water trickle down her arms and off of her fingers. She giggled to herself.

"Heh... water bending..."

 _Very funny. Don't you have shampoo in your hair still?_

"Doesn't matter, I'm enjoying the shower."

 _Weirdo._

"Says you."

 _I'm not the one who brushes her teeth naked._

"I'm in the shower. It's called multitasking. I'd shave if I was a guy and had a razor."

 _What about your legs? What about your... gosh, what did you call it... Lady-Garden?_

Ruby snorted, flicking some water at the shower curtain and watching it run down.

"It's October, I'm not going to shave my legs. And I'm not going to do... _that_ either. No."

 _But Weiss might like it._

Ruby sighed and scrunched her face up.

"Yeah, but she's six thousand miles away. Not gonna."

 _So you're saying you thought about it._

"Fuck you."

The voice made no attempt to respond, going quiet for a moment. Truth be told she _had_ thought about it. It made her cheeks flush a vibrant red. She closed her eyes and brought a hand up to cover her face, just to try and clear the images from her mind.

 _Come on, man, give me something! She's hot! You're gonna deny me that?_

Yes, yes she was. Ruby let out a pained laugh through her hand, spurting the water that had collected on her lips against the wall. She kept thinking that maybe turning up the heat might silence the voice, but then she remembered that it would also burn her skin. Well water in the country wasn't regulated by the city Hydro companies, so if your water heater could produce above three or four hundred degrees, then that was the temperature that would come out the taps. She immediately thought of the burn Yang used to have on her right forearm from when she was little from doing exactly that. She had always kept that spot of skin hidden with either her bracer gloves, her gauntlets, or that little fuzzy yellow sweatband she wore with her pyjamas. Of course, she didn't need to cover the burn any _more_ on account of, well...

 _No arm?_

Ruby sighed and spun around, facing into the stream again. The water felt nice as it hit her collarbones and splattered her neck. Yes, Yang didn't have any arm below the bicep anymore. She also no longer had the burn, but that small victory seemed shallow. The new arm was so much cooler than any flesh and bone one could ever hope to be, anyways.

 _I wonder how high the vibration setting on that thing goes?_

"AARRRGH!"

With a jump, she spun and slammed the tap off. There was no time for _that_ kind of thoughts. Not for Weiss, not for Yang's arm, not for anything. She grabbed the curtain and flung it open as hard as she could, a few of the metal curtain hangers coming off the rod and dangling free. She grabbed the towel off the rack so hard it fell over, but she ignored it as she towelled off as hard as she could, scrubbing her hair with vigour enough to pull her own hair out. If the voice in her head was saying anything, she literally couldn't hear it. She paused, leaving the towel on her head for a moment. She seemed to have rattled the voice into submission.

"Ahh..."

She stepped out of the tub and back into the little bathroom, damp feet not having the best traction on the slick linoleum. The sound of the fan was loud right over her head, muffled by the towel she had wrapped her head in. She took a moment to turn around and put the curtain back on the rod for the next person. In doing so, she caught a glimpse of herself in the mirror across the room. She turned to look fully. The reflection from the neck-up was blurred out by the steam that was quickly receding. The reflection from the neck- _down however,_ was now both clear and clean. She eyed herself for a moment as the steam on the mirror finally disappeared. She reluctantly approached.

The image reflected back at her was, to her, unimpressive. The _massive_ scar that stretched diagonally across her upper body was vibrantly red now, the pink tissue agitated from the hot water. She ran her fingers across it, tracing it from up under her left boob down over her stomach and over her right hip. It was as gaudy as scars came. She hated looking at it. She sighed again, pulling the towel off her head and wrapping around herself, binding her boobs as hard as she felt comfortable doing in order to keep the towel from falling off. She gave her damp hair a quick shake to get any excess drips off. She turned her head and examined her own hair. The dark brown mop of hair was still damp, and it cascaded over her right shoulder.

The mop had grown over the last few years, having not had a haircut in probably eight or nine months, and now it looked more like girl-hair than it ever had. She was a fan of the boyish short hairdo she usually kept, as having short hair had many advantages above just saving money on hair products and time in the morning to get ready. The most prominent reason being, of course, it looked super damn cute on her. She brushed her fingers through the hair that ran over her shoulder, pursing her lips. The longer look was... different. Maybe she should have booked a haircut.

 _But why? I think it looks good._

Ruby blinked a few times. She turned her head a few times, giving herself a few different styles with the lengthening hair, finally giving it a whip and letting it just sit on her shoulders. She huffed. Maybe the long hair did look good. Whoopty doo. Who cared. She missed her short fluffy hair.

 _What, you could grow it out and wear pigtails! O-or like, braid it! That'd be super pretty!_

She rolled her eyes and grabbed the bathrobe from the back of the door and slung it around her shoulders, dropping her towel and pulling the robe closed around her waist. She wished she had remembered that this was her _old_ bathrobe, as it was, in fact, _way_ too small for her. The front of the robe was barely closed over her and only hung to her mid-thigh, and was open at the top to reveal as near as made no difference _all_ of her sternum. She frowned at her reflection again. It was far too revealing.

 _Don't show your sister._

"Heh."

No, that would be a bad idea. Yang would try and make fun of her in some way, probably pointing out her cleavage and saying how 'grown up' she was now. Growing up sucked. Growing up with Yang sucked worse.

 _Yeah, but you gotta admit. You grew up hot._

"What's your point?"

 _You have the body that you wanted when you were fifteen._

She sighed.

"Yeah, but with a nasty scar across my front."

 _Oh pish posh. That rack alone. Yowza. The scar means nothing._

No, the scar meant _everything._ Ruby had difficulty looking herself up and down in any reflective surface when she was naked. Back home, she spent as little time as she could sans clothing, and every piece of trim in her bathroom was powder black so it didn't reflect anything. She didn't even have a _mirror_ in her bathroom. She shook her head again. _No. No more_ , she thought, ignoring the voice inside her head. With a turn, she pushed her way out of the bathroom and back across the hall. Her bedroom was still dark from the rain.

"Haa..."

She fell forward onto the bed, bouncing and twisting her body so she landed on her back on top of the sheets. She lay there in just her robe for a second. The soft fabric belt that held it closed had come undone at some point during the jump and allowed the ill-fitting robe fly open, so she had landed in the full spread-eagle position. She looked down herself through her cleavage, and noticed the door to her room was open. She blinked. If anyone was to walk by at this moment, they would be able to see straight up her-

"Nope."

She jumped to her feet and slammed the door shut, rattling the door frame. This wasn't her house back in Atlas, she couldn't just be so aloof. Her dad and her sister lived here too. That wouldn't be something they'd want to see.

 _Maybe Yang would._

Ruby scoffed, grabbing a pair of pyjama shorts and sliding them up her legs, realizing that she had left her underwear in the bathroom. She moved to her dresser and pulled the top drawer open and started digging through it for something to wear.

"No she wouldn't. That's gross."

Her hands found something buried way in the back and pulled it out. It was another one of Yang's hand-me-down shirts, this one being her old house-work shirt. This one was just as bright yellow as every other shirt Ruby had gotten from her sister over the years, and had the same red flame graphic on the right side of the chest. She shrugged her shoulders and let the undersized robe slide off and land on the floor, leaving her only in her shorts and nothing else. She examined the shirt in her fingers, catching sight of herself in the little stand-up mirror next to her dresser.

 _No, not like that. You know what I meant. Look._

She turned, confused, and looked at her reflection again.

"What?"

 _Show her the scar._

Ruby grimaced at herself and slid the shirt on, pulling it down so it covered the pink tissue. She frowned back at herself.

"She's seen it."

 _No, I don't mean... ugh, just listen._

Ruby sat down at the edge of the bed.

 _You kinda yelled at her yesterday when she tried to talk to you._

"Well I didn't want to talk."

 _I know._

"So what do you want me to do?"

 _I want you to realize_ why _you don't want to talk._

"Why do you think that is?"

 _Because you are scared._

Ruby snorted.

"Tell me something I _don't_ know."

 _No I don't mean scared like scared of confrontation or something like that._

"Then what do you mean?"

 _I think you're scared of yourself. You don't like what's in your head and what you're capable of doing to yourself. You're scared of_ me. _You're scared to open up because you might realize that I'm right._

Ruby sniffled and wiped her eyes on her wrists.

 _You need to talk to Yang, but it's gonna be hard if you're all closed up and unwilling to let her in._

 _As much as she tells you, you need her help. You may not want it, but you need it._

 _You need to open up._

"But I..."

 _No._

 _I know you can._

 _You might not be able to deal with some issues with her just yet._

 _You know who I mean._

 _But this one, this... this... body image problem you have. You can get over that. You're not as broken as you think you are. Everything broken can be rebuilt. I think this is a good place to start._

"How?"

 _Tell her about it. Get her to open up too. You don't understand that she knows how it feels to suffer like this._

"Why are you helping me?"

 _Because I know you want to get better, you just don't know how. As much as I am your tormentor, I hate seeing us like this. It's not healthy._

"Really?"

No response. The voice was quiet. Ruby wiped her eyes again. She waited. For an answer.

None came.

Maybe the voice was right. She looked around her room arbitrarily, as if searching for something to cling to. The rain still pummelled the windows outside and made a heck of a racket. She sat up on the edge of the bed."

"Yang?!"

The noise of the rain muffled any other sound in the house, so she was convinced that she hadn't been heard. She called out again, her voice unwittingly sounding sadder than she wanted it to.

"Ya-ang..."

Her heart started beating in her ears. Did she really want to do this? Did she _really_ want to let Yang into her problems? No, of course she didn't want to. She didn't want to hurt her sister by bringing her in. It might inconvenience her to know about the true depth of her problems. To it's credit, the voice had said even _it_ wasn't ready to go that deep yet. She needed a starting point, but even this seemed too far down. Showing Yang a scar she had already seen before seemed like a bad idea. She had been there, at her bedside, for all three months of her hospital stay in the ICU at the Mistral Campus of Advanced Medicine. She grimaced, realizing that she now _needed_ to let her sister in.

There was a soft knocking at her door.

" _Ruby?"_

Her heart stopped. This was it. No turning back.

"C-come in."

The doorknob turned slowly, with a click as it unlatched. The door swung quietly open, revealing her sister, clad in pyjama pants and an old band t-shirt with the name _StarGazer_ written across the front in full metal-album script. The blonde hair that was usually left loose and free was tied back in a low ponytail with what looked like a regular rubber band. She wore a very worried expression on her face as well. Ruby noticed she had both her arms on as well.

"Hey, honey. You... you called?"

Ruby nodded, gesturing her in. Yang closed the door behind her and gently padded over, sitting down on the bed next to her. Ruby sniffed.

"...Hi..."

"Something you needed?"

She fidgeted, sticking her hands between her thighs and trying to crush her own wrists.

"Y-yeah, I..."

She paused. Yang waited patiently, putting her good arm around her shoulders very softly. Ruby huffed.

"I'm not... I'm just..."

"It's okay hun, take your time."

She clenched her fists and dug her nails into the undersides of her thighs, the pain stinging up into her hips. She turned and looked up into her sister's very soft lavender eyes. They welcomed her, despite not even having a good reason to. Ruby immediately felt like a horrible human being.

"I'm sorry."

Her eyelashes fluttered as if caught in a breeze.

"You are forgiven."

Ruby's mouth froze mid-word. She hadn't expected such a quick conclusion. She had a whole speech prepared and everything. Well, not prepared, really. She was going to just wing it and see if that worked, apologizing and trying to reconcile their problems. This had interrupted her plans. She frowned.

"But-"

"I forgive you."

With that, Yang wrapped her other arm around her and gave her a squeeze, burying her face into the crook of her neck. It tickled as the woman spoke again.

"It's okay, sweetie. I get it."

"O-okay..."

This was awkward. Her natural instinct was to cry here, but she found that she didn't even feel sad. It was... weird. What happened to opening up? Yang pulled back out of the hug, holding a very confused Ruby at arms length. Yang's golden expression never wavered.

"Yang, wait..."

"Hmm?"

Ruby wiggled away.

"I have to show you something."

She scooted her butt backwards on the bed. Yang watched her go, turning on the spot and sitting up on her knees. Ruby's breath caught in her throat as she thought of what to say. She looped her fingers under the hem of her shirt and held them there, feeling a little uneasy. Yang, however, seemed a little too excited. Ruby did her best to scold her.

"Don't laugh. Or like... whatever you were thinking. I need to show you."

Yang rolled her eyes with a smile.

"It's cute that you think I think like that. You're my sister, if you have something to show me, I'm not gonna be offended. Unless you're gonna show me a boob-tattoo or something. Then I'm gonna be mad you didn't bring me along so we could get matching ones. Go on."

Ruby's face broke into a tiny smile. Damn Yang and her cheerful attitude.

"S'not funny, Yang. I'm serious."

Her sister nodded, keeping the smile. Her expression shifted to a more welcoming one. She was ready to listen. And Ruby was ready to open up.

"Okay. H-here I go..."

She pulled up on the semi-elastic ring of the hand-me-down shirt's hem, sliding the fabric up her stomach and revealing the wide, ugly mark that bisected her body. Yang didn't react in the same way that Weiss had. There was no gasp, there was no shocked screaming, no saying of ' _whoa!'_ and averting her eyes. She just smiled and looked down at it. Ruby continued to lift the shirt until it was right underneath her breasts, halting it there so she didn't reveal _too_ much. The scar only continued another three inches up and four inches down into her shorts, but the rest of the scar was fully visible in the dim light.

Yang was unmoved.

"Okay, it's your scar. What, did it get lighter or something? What am I looking for?"

Ruby huffed.

"I want to... talk about it."

Yang nodded slowly, looking her in the eyes.

"Okay. I'm willing to listen."

Ruby shivered as the air in the room started to affect her exposed midriff. She flopped backwards onto her back and stared up at the ceiling as she tried to formulate something to say. An idea came to her. A stupid, stupid idea. One that she felt stupid for even imagining.

"D'you..."

She paused again, fiddling with the loose cotton. Yang flopped over onto her left arm and lay next to her.

"Do I...?"

She exhaled through her nose for a good half minute, her eyes wandering around the barren white plaster above her, searching for some kind of reprieve. The voice in her head had left her completely alone. She couldn't even rely on them for assistance. She dove in.

"...d'you wanna touch it?"

Again, no reaction from her sister. She simply smiled and started to reach out with her right arm. Ruby's breathing increased with her heart rate as the metallic fingers came closer, inch by inch. Just before she made contact, she stopped. Ruby's skin flushed red, having the strange effect of turning the massive scar white.

"Hold up, I wanna try something."

Ruby watched perplexed as Yang sat up again for a moment. With a shrug of her shoulder, she slid her arm out of the metal prosthesis and pulled the leather straps free of her torso. The arm, now limp, was placed against a pillow. Yang lay back down and scooted closer to her. She watched with baited breath as the woman once again reached out for her, this time using only her real arm. Or what was left of it. Ruby let out a tiny gasp as the end of the stump brushed against her stomach.

"Wh-what are you-"

Expecting Yang to interject, she hadn't prepared anything further. Her sister made no indication of continuing, merely laying next to her and running the end of her arm along the ragged scar. She kept her eyes on the scar, lidded and softened as if she was thinking about something else entirely.

"I always wanted to do this. Blake wouldn't let me touch hers, and Weiss used to get all uppity about me being in her face. It feels weird to do."

Yet she didn't stop, tracing the end of her arm further up the skin. Ruby shivered again, this time from the unnecessarily light touch Yang was using. It tickled _so_ badly, but she forced herself to not laugh.

"How high up does it go?"

She gulped.

"Halfway up my boob."

Yang's eyes lit up.

"Can I see?"

"Wha- no!"

"Pleeeeease? I wanna see where it starts!"

Yang's face was just too honest for Ruby to handle. She relented, and nodded with her face turning a bright crimson. She slid her hand up under her own shirt to cover herself and let the woman lift the fabric up to the top of the scar. She shivered again as she felt the short red scar on the end of Yang's arm brush against the pointed and jagged end of her own. She giggled as she got a poke in the underboob.

"What's this under here?"

"Hmm?"

"The little white scar here. Right where the roundness is."

Ruby craned her neck and flattened her boob against herself so she could see what Yang was referring to. The little white scar, barely noticeable that ran parallel to her ribs with a slight curve in it that sat directly in the valley between her boob and her chest. It looked like a seam. Ruby chuckled down at it and her sister.

"Oh yeah, I forgot that was there."

"Well what is it?"

Ruby smiled and pulled the shirt back down over her boobs to hide them and the teeny scar, but leaving the rest of the diagonal slash open to the air as Yang continued to run her arm up and down it.

"So you know that most of my insides were all... torn up, right?"

Yang nodded, her gaze fixated on her left breast.

"Uh huh."

"Well... when the doctors were in there bolting my ribs back together, they noticed that the muscle tissue and fat in this side was torn beyond repair, so they decided to pump this one up a little with some silicone."

Yang's eyebrows shot up, and her mouth hung open in a sly smile.

"So you're saying..."

"Yep. It's fake. Well, a little fake. Just to make them equal."

"Ugh, _that's_ why they're so nice! You cheated!"

Ruby laughed as Yang poked her in the bellybutton with the end of her arm.

"It's not cheating! It was this or have it removed, so I just had them made equal. This one was bigger anyways, so now they're good. For me."

"Damn, maybe _I_ should get some enhancements. Make _my_ girls behave and grow the same size. Bitches, they are."

They laughed together, having a moment. It felt good to laugh so freely and so honestly, even if was with her sister. She watched her sister flop down on her side and lay her cheek against the exposed scar, humming against it. Ruby finally let go of her shirt and relaxed, exhaling and sinking into the mattress and letting her arms fall down again. The fingers of her right hand found the end of Yang's arm. She traced the little red line where Yang used to have an elbow, sighing and listening to Yang purr softly.

"Did it hurt?"

Yang stopped humming for a moment.

"I don't remember if it did. I mean, I think it should have. My arm hurts sometimes. I get pains in a part of my body I don't even have anymore. Besides, I should be asking _you_ if yours still hurts."

"Mmm. I don't know..."

Yang rolled over so her face was facing up at her.

"I guess it still does. In it's own ways. Like, not phantom-painy or anything. I just... have to look at it, you know? See it and remember."

"Yes, Ruby. I know exactly. When _I_ look in the mirror I see the missing arm and what used to be a very broken individual. I used to be sad n' stuff. I mean, my arm _was_ cut off by a sword. I think I'd be more okay with it if it had been amputated or something. Eh, I've found ways around it. What about you?"

Ruby twitched.

"I don't know. It was not really that long ago, so the memories are still fresh. And every time I see it I remember the forest. I remember the pain. I remember waking up with a tube in my throat and having a machine beat my heart for me."

Her voice caught in her throat before she could continue any further. She had to manually unclench her fist, as it had scrunched itself up under the back of her head under her pillow. She could see her sister wince inside, hearing her heartbeat increase. Her smile never faded however.

"Do you remember how it happened?"

"I do. I want to be able to say ' _it's hazy',_ but it's not. It's clear as day. I remember how the forest smelled and how the claw felt. I don't know how to forget."

Yang sighed and closed her eyes.

"Maybe you don't know how because it still means something to you."

"How did _you_ forget?"

"I didn't. I still remember. I just learned how to dissociate the injury from the feeling."

That sounded hard. Ruby frowned. She knew that she _needed_ to learn how to do just that, but she didn't know if she possessed the moral fortitude to.

And one subject in particular needed to be dissociated from.

She kept her eyes on Yang, who seemed to be content in her semi-snooze attitude, as she was cuddling against her stomach. How did she do it? Yang had suffered from post-traumatic for almost two _years_ before she had figured out how to get back on her feet again. She hadn't even worn the arm the first six months either. And now, here she was. Perfectly okay with the memory of that horrible man removing her arm in such a brutal way. It was only once. How did she do it? Some kind of magic? Yang's face was peaceful as she seemed to be drifting through her own world in her head. Maybe it was drugs.

 _Okay, I'm gonna step in here. Don't do drugs. For my sake and for yours._

Ruby grimaced. She had meant more like something prescribed from a doctor and filled out by a pharmacist or something like that. Not anything illegal.

 _Even that. Don't. You have to work this out like a real person, and you have to tell her about him. I have an idea, but it's gonna suck._

Hell, even a sucky idea would work at this point. But whatever it was could wait a little longer. She had taken one of very few opportunities she had ever been given and was currently running her fingers through the soft blonde mane, even going as far as to pulling the hair elastic out. Her sister for once didn't seem to mind. The sound of the rain on the windows was coming in waves, like rousing applause in a huge stadium. The shadow against the wall had little streaks of water on it and she watched patiently as two little drops worked their way down the pane, racing each other in slow-motion. Even for a moment, with Yang resting on her stomach and her fingers playing with her sister's hair and scar, the world was peaceful.

The door burst open.

"Hey, girls are you- _whoa!"_

And then it was quickly shut again, waking Yang from her snooze and making them both tense up. Their dad called back through the door he had just almost broken out of the frame.

" _Are you two decent?"_

Ruby chuckled to herself and Yang had to manually wipe a smile off her face.

"Yeah, dad. We're dressed."

" _Okay."_

The door opened slowly and he stuck his head in, clearly nervous to not see his daughters in what had probably looked like a compromising position.

"What's going on in here? I thought you were having breakfast."

"I stopped when the Ru-ster called. We're comparing scars."

He smiled down at them.

"You girls want to see scars?"

Ruby wiggled herself into a seated position as Yang did the same, pulling her shirt down over the scar and covering it again. Tai sat down at the edge of the bed and rolled up the sleeves on his sweater.

"You know how you don't see me drink? Like, how your uncle used to?"

They both nodded.

"Have a look-see."

He pulled the rim of his t-shirt up over his stomach, revealing a short horizontal scar, no more than three inches long right under where his ribcage ended. It looked faded, but not so much that it was older than the two of them.

" _This_ little number I got for you, Ruby. When you were out in the hospital after your run-in in Kayaba, the doctor came to me and told me you were having some problems. That your liver was on the verge of failing from basically getting ripped in half. You needed a transplant, so I gave you half of mine. That's why I don't drink anymore."

Yang piped up.

"You did that for Ruby?"

He smiled.

"Sweetheart, I'd do that for both of you. Even if it meant I had to be on dialysis for the rest of my life. In fact..."

He turned and lifted the back of his shirt and showed off the second one. Another scar, this one vertical, along his spine on the small of his back. This one was a little longer than the first. They both ogled it. The two scars their dad had were not the same jagged and obtuse as the ones they had, and certainly not as large and ungainly as Ruby's. They were both perfectly straight. Surgical.

"...This one was for _you._ When you were in for your arm, you contracted a viral infection while on the table. Both of your kidneys went on you. I figured ' _I have two, my baby girl needs one, so I can live without eating cheese for the rest of my life_ ', so you got my extra one. After the doctors managed to clear your infection, you got a new kidney and I got to keep my daughter."

Ruby's heart just couldn't take it anymore. Taiyang Xiao-Long, famous huntsman, school teacher, farmer and father extraordinaire had only two scars on his whole body, and both of them were from keeping her and her sister alive when they needed it most. She gave in to it and fell forward, burying her face in her dad's chest and slinging her arms around his torso, pinning his arms against his sides.

"... _thank you..."_

He smiled and ruffled her hair as best he could while in a vice-like bind.

"Anything for you two. Literally."

Yang laughed her pillowy laugh and leaned her face against the pinned man's shoulder.

"Literally?"

"Yup. You want the moon? I'll pull it out of the night's sky. You want a new robotic limb? I'll call a crime boss and have him get me one, fresh in the box. You want a small island nation off the coast of Menagerie? I'll invade it just for you."

"Can I have a pony?"

Tai laughed. Full bodied, heartfelt laughed.

"No Yang, you cannot have a pony."

"Aww, man."

"Yang, you don't even know how to ride a horse."

"Pshh. it's just like riding a motor bike."

"No, sweetie. No it isn't."

"Pshhh."

All three of them laughed. Ruby turned her face sideways and looked over at Yang, who seemed to be once again on the verge of snoozing, with her eyes closed and a big goofy grin on her face. Ruby's lips pursed. Yang was her sister. Her blood relative. Well, _half_ blood relative. Close enough.

Ruby realized something in that moment of happiness.

They had all given up something for someone else. They had all had terrible things happen to them. They were all... damaged. And they were all honest with one another. Well, almost. She realized she still held a secret that _needed_ to get out of she was going to be able to cope with it. Yang deserved to know.

But there was a problem. There always was. She couldn't straight-up tell her her problem. Yang was a very protective person by nature, as much was obvious to any random passerby. She always, _always_ insisted Ruby hold her hand when they were out shopping so that she didn't run off, even if they were both adults and capable of their own decisions, and everyday except for that morning Yang had been in her bed when she had woken up, with her body coiled around her like a snake. Yang was very much a 'don't let go' kind of older sister. Ruby had tried to ask about it once, but never got a clear answer. Maybe it had something to do with her mother. Probably.

Yang deserved to know the truth. But she didn't want anyone to die.

 _Hmm._

She had a plan. It would take a few days, she figured.

But it _would_ work.

/.../

"Okay? Alright we'll be there in a day or so. Mmm-okay thank you very much. Okay, bye."

She gently placed the old plastic earpiece back into the hanger, silencing the call. She sighed and sat back in the tall shop stool and sliding the old phone backwards on the tall table, hiding it behind the computer monitor. She pulled the single page out of the ancient laserjet printer and read over the driving directions once again. A three hour drive. Not so bad, comparatively.

"Huhhhh..."

She leaned back, folding up the instructions. And sticking them in a pocket on her pants. She stared at the ceiling of the garage, watching a tiny brown spider crawl slowly across one of the rafters. It looked at ease as it gently moved each one of it's seven short legs one by one. Wait, seven? Ruby frowned up at the little creature. One of it's forelegs was missing, broken off at the first joint. Poor thing. It seemed perfectly capable of moving on it's own regardless, however. Such interesting little things they were.

"Oh. Hello, friend."

Yang hated spiders. So did Blake, actually. Ruby wasn't scared of spiders per se, but she preferred to be outside of a six-foot radius of them at all times. They were better from a distance. The only one of the four of them who was cool with spiders had been Weiss. She had always collected the little brown common spiders with her glyphs to get them out of a shrieking Yang and Blake's view. She smiled. What dorks they were. It _was_ kinda cool the way Weiss could suspend them in mid air, frozen in time almost. She sniffed and dropped her chin to her chest.

 _Okay, arachnids are neat. Don't you have something to do?_

She sighed.

"Yeah..."

She just didn't know how to start. Maybe she ought to just dive right in.

 _I mean..._

No, that couldn't work. She had been distracting herself all day, surfing the internet and finding stuff to do tomorrow and perusing a website apparently dedicated to ' _dank memes'_ as the title card had said. Tomorrow would be a full day with her dad, driving out to get some parts to fix the crappy truck that was in a million pieces behind her.

 _Oy. Get on it._

"Ugh, fine."

She reached into her pocket and rudely extracted her phone, flipping her thumb across the screen to unlock it. She flicked into her contact list and scrolled down to the bottom where the alphabet ended. Her thumb stopped right on the name she had wanted to see, conveniently. Just below it, Velvet and Weiss, and just above was Nora. And Pyrrha. She winced. She had never deleted that contact. She looked away.

 _Don't panic, keep it cool._

She exhaled and looked back down at the phone. She tapped on the contact of the person she had intended to see. The screen went black for a second before popping the phone app open. It waited a moment, before vibrating quietly in her hand to indicate that the call had been connected to the contact. The line rang. She hesitated.

It rang a second time. Ruby was suddenly unsure if this was a good idea. It _had_ to be. It was the _only_ idea she had. He would be the only person who could help her. The only person she trusted to help her. Not to say she didn't trust Yang or her father, of course, but they didn't possess a semblance that could literally calm a person's nerves and make them less likely to kill anyone. He was a soldier, too. So she knew that he would act with the utmost discretion in this matter. It had to be him. And it would have to be tomorrow.

The line clicked.

" _Hello?"_

"Hey, Ren."

A short hum of appreciation came through the receiver.

" _Hello, Little Ruby. It has been a while."_

She let her cheek twitch.

"A little."

" _Last time we were together were not under the best circumstances, were they?"_

"No, I guess not."

A pause permeated the silence of the shop, lasting a brief second.

" _So to what do I owe the pleasure today?"_

"I need your help."

" _My help? Last I heard, you had left to go back to Patch. Forgive me, but I remember that being the home of your father and sister. Are they not more qualified to help you than I?"_

"Maybe I should've specified. I need _your_ help. Specifically."

He paused again, humming quietly. She thought about hanging up right there. No, she _needed_ this. It would help.

" _Specifically. Specifically with what?"_

"I want to do something about Jaune."

" _Hmm."_

Another pause.

" _What did you have in mind?"_

She slumped her shoulders and pinched the bridge of her nose. She didn't know. She didn't actually have a plan. She knew that the only three people who knew anything about her issues with the man were now down a member. She only had Ren and Blake left to help her with this problem. She knew she needed to branch out. Weiss wouldn't be able to help her. Not that she figured, anyways. So this left one person.

"I want to be able to tell Yang."

" _But you don't want her to kill him and end up in prison."_

She nodded slowly, before realizing that he couldn't see that.

"Y-yeah. I figured you could help me. You helped Yang after she got her arm cut off, so I figured you could help me... break the news so she doesn't do anything stupid or reckless."

" _Hmm."_

Ruby bit her nails. Very few people knew of Ren's semblance. His was more implicit than explicit like, for instance, Yang's ability to catch fire or Nora's ability to electrify herself and channel it into her muscles. Ren's was very much... emotional. He possessed no shadow clones or glyphs either. Yet his semblance could be considered even more potent than even someone like Pyrrha. Her brute strength could be quelled by something as simple as a handshake from the quiet man.

"I... just want to be able to tell my sister and not be afraid. I'm tired of being afraid, Ren."

" _I understand."_

She could trust Ren. She could trust Blake. She hated that she felt like she couldn't trust Yang. She had to. She _loved_ Yang. More than anyone. But with Ren's help she figured that telling her sister about the man who haunted her very _soul_ could be made easy. Smooth. Effortless. She realized that this might be a little abusive of her friendship with Ren, however.

" _I have been awaiting the day you would do this, Ruby. I am very proud of you for doing this."_

"So you're gonna help me?"

He laughed with a soft chuckle.

" _Oh of course. I'll even do you one better, my friend. I know someone who might like to deal with him themselves Someone who has had a longer history with him than you do. They want him just as dead as Yang will. They've been egging me on to help them to put him in both prison and in a full-body cast."_

Oh?

 _Oh?_

"Oh?"

" _Yes. How does that sound?"_

Her mouth froze halfway open. She was flabbergasted. Who knew that someone else might have a problem with him? Well, to be fair, that Cinder girl from the hospital had said implied that he was the father of her daughter, and Pyrrha had gone through the pain of _marrying_ him, so maybe he did have a few enemies. _Somebody_ had a problem with him. And they also had the willpower to face him.

Her shoulders fell. She could never face him again. But hey, if someone was going to.

"That sounds... good!"

She could feel him smiling.

" _Excellent. How about I drop by tomorrow?"_

Her heart fluttered. That felt a little bit too soon. But she had already psyched herself up for this.

"That's... fine, I guess. Isn't it too far, though?"

" _Nonsense. Nowhere is too far for a member of Alpha Squad. Besides, I have a private jet."_

Oh, right. Ren was still a very wealthy man in control of his own business. She tended to forget since he was also a soldier in the reserve corps and drove around in that tired old Vacuan XR-Coupe.

" _I'll be there tomorrow around dinner time. I have to drop by my friend's office to give her the details. I'll deal with your little problem, then I'll be there so we can tell Yang. Together. I know how you feel about this. It will all be okay, I promise."_

Her cheeks flushed a little. It felt almost like he could use his semblance on her through the phone. She felt perfectly at ease, even though the subject was one she despised even thinking about. She could barely even bring herself to say his _name,_ let alone talk about what happened. But today had been somehow easier for her. Maybe it had started with how she opened up to Yang about the scar.

She winced again. Right. She still had to deal with that, too.

 _Baby steps._

She smiled.

"Okay. I'll see you tomorrow."

" _Alright. You take care of yourself. You hear me? I'll be disappointed in you if I get there and you've stress eaten yourself into your room."_

She laughed. Out loud.

"Don't worry, Lie, I'll be fine."

" _Hmmhmm. Okay, I trust you."_

"Bye, Ren."

" _See you soon."_

The line went silent. She smiled as she pulled the phone from her ear.

Now she had a real plan. Ren would get his friend to assist him in dealing with the problem physically, and then he'd come help her deal with it emotionally. His friend, whoever they were, was probably considerably more qualified to deal with him. Hopefully they were stronger, taller, and all around more physically powerful than he was. He would suffer. She realized that _that_ was exactly what she needed.

And now it was going to happen.

Maybe then she could deal with the other monster deep in Kayaba Forest.

She smiled, spinning around on her chair with genuine glee.

Wait, had Ren said _her_ office _?_


	33. Chapter 33: A Good Day

Chapter 70

Today was a good day.

Today, things were going her way. It had started early in the morning when she had the most excellent cup of fine imported Mistralian coffee, whose beans had been collected in the far eastern mountains and sent, albeit _technically_ illegally, across the ocean to Atlas. Since she hadn't wanted to mute the taste of something so exclusive, she had taken it black. And _boy,_ was it good, which was a surprise to her, really. The last few cups of black coffee she had drank had been so unbelievably foul, but this time had been a very welcome surprise.

To go with the most excellent coffee, she had decided to do something she hadn't done since she was probably ten or eleven. She had taken a bubble bath. At six thirty in the morning. And it had been _wonderful._ She had grabbed her record player from her music room, a vintage-original _Hunter Music_ unit she had bought from a collector who had never even taken it out of the box. The damn thing was twenty years older than she was. And it sounded like _butter._ Taking a bath to Hendrix on vinyl was as close as she thought was humanly possible to actually heaven.

Following this, a flatbed truck carrying the little green RRS coupe she had just bought rolled onto her property and delivered the shiny new car, fresh from the shipping dock at the south end of town. That truck _also_ had delivered the big black diesel Commander pickup she had sent to the tuning shop just two days before. She had called the tow company to see if they could pick up the huge truck and they had originally told her no since it was too heavy and wide a vehicle to get. But she guessed their driver was just feeling it today, and managed to put both a priceless racecar and a hundred-thousand lien luxury pickup truck on the back of his flatbed. And both arrived much sooner than she had expected.

It had been a while since she had done her own laundry, even, but she had gone for it this morning, choosing to wash a set of very expensive silk pyjamas just to wear with breakfast. And getting out of the tub and directly into a set of hot, fresh, literally silky smooth jammies, _oof._ Weiss wasn't sure if life got any better.

So _today,_ nothing could get her down. And now she was on her way to work. She had called a friend to help her kickstart her problem-solving ultimate solution. He'd be by later, after lunch though. But before that she had a meeting to go to with a foreign dignitary. He was a good friend, however, and it wouldn't be a meeting, really. They were going to have a discussion. Involving chess. Okay, they were going to play chess.

She smiled. It would be a fun day. And to top it off, she was now in a very good position in traffic on her way to work. She was up in her truck, the aforementioned black diesel Commander, her aviators on, her hand resting lazily on the end of the meter-long gearshift, and her elbow hanging out the window. She had been sitting at the front of the line of cars at a stop light, and lo and behold, her brother had rolled up next to her in his own truck.

She had been egging him on to race her since she had first bought a car some nine years ago. He never wanted to. But now, he had no choice.

"Ready to lose, Shitley?"

He laughed, having to shout over both of the two trucks' loud and modified motors.

"I don't think I will. I have the weight advantage _and_ traction advantage if you don't cheat."

Weiss scoffed down at the younger man in his little blue truck. It was absolutely _dwarfed_ by the huge black dually.

"What do you mean cheat, do you think I'd stoop so low as to cheat in a race against my own brother?"

"Uh, yeah."

She laughed.

"Well, you'd be right."

She reached down to the floor of her truck as discreetly as she could and pushed the transfer case lever into four-by-four. She was going to take every advantage she could.

"You're still not going to win. I have more power. Seven hundred."

He revved his truck a few times. Weiss could hear the supercharger whine as the huge motor roared. She laughed again, stabbing her own happy pedal a few times. The big diesel six cylinder barked a few times, puffing two big clouds of black sooty smoke out of the twin chrome exhaust pipes that stood up in the bed behind the cab.

"No, you don't have more."

She revved again, the turbocharger whistling loudly. The whole truck seemed to twist on it's suspension.

"We'll see."

She laughed. Yes, yes they would see. She checked the light on the cross street. It had just turned yellow. She grabbed the gear stick again, and pushed it into second gear, revving up the engine slowly, watching the boost gauge that had been added to the dashboard slowly climb. Whitley did the same from down in his truck. The little stepside hot rod lurched forward in anticipation. Weiss eased the clutch up, creeping her own truck forward. The light stayed red. She eyed it with baited breath. She was _so_ ready. She could hear the radio playing quietly from under the noise of the engine. She smiled evily. The Beastie Boys. Sabotage.

The light went green.

She cranked the radio dial. At the very same moment, she hoisted her left foot from the clutch and matted her right. All one _thousand_ one hundred horsepower of twist immediately tried to turn the _planet_ backwards underneath as all six of the truck's tires dug in. The motor screamed as the truck twisted, lifting the front left tire clear off the pavement and carrying it a good thirty feet.

" _Yeeeeaaahhh!"_

She bang-shifted the truck up into third gear, lurching forward again. She checked her flatscreen-TV sized rearview mirror. Whitley's truck was just barely tailing her, only half a car length behind. Two great plumes of white smoke billowed from the rear of his truck as it struggled for grip on the ill-treated street. Another slam of the long and fairly vague gearshift had her pulling ahead again. The bass from the truck's exorbitantly loud speakers pounded into her skull as she forced the ludicrously powerful truck forward. She was only ahead by a small amount. She slammed up into fifth gear, singing along to the lyrics.

" _~Can't stand it, I know you planned it, but I'm gonna set it straight, this Watergate~"_

She weaved hard to the right to avoid a delivery van, holding her engine at full throttle. Whitley's truck had managed to pull in line with hers. This, in Weiss's humble opinion, was not okay. She held down the accelerator, watching the boost level rise up to the ridiculous sixty-four pounds of compressed air. She ignored the little light on the dash that claimed _over-speed,_ watching the nose of her brother's truck rise and fall as he changed up as well.

" _~I can't stand rocking when I'm in here, 'cause your crystal ball ain't so crystal clear~"_

She knew she had a disadvantage when it came to speed. This truck, albeit outstandingly modified, was still designed for towing. It had been built with low-ratio gears and a low redline so that it could pull a staggering thirty thousand pounds, more than was even legal on a regular driver's license. Whitley's truck, however, had been built for drag racing. High-revving supercharged engine, close-ratio transmission, fibreglass replica cab, everything in place to make it destroy everything in short quarter mile sprints. But Weiss had one advantage. Whitley was afraid of going too fast. He didn't even like flying. All she had to do was outlast him.

"~ _So while you sit back and wonder why I got this fucking thorn in my side~"_

The speedometer was already pegged. It didn't actually read any higher. The truck was starting to shake, as the hard compound tires were not made to spin as fast as she was forcing them to. Normally her truck would have been limited to a mere one hundred and sixty kilometres per hour, but with the horsepower modifications she had paid for she had also had the limiter removed. She hit sixth gear. The mountain of torque hurled her forward. She could see that Whitley was being more cautious, the faster they went.

"~ _Oh my god, it's a mirage, I'm telling all y'all it's sabotage!~"_

She cranked the wheel back to the left, and slid the truck into her brother's lane, cutting him off with only inches to spare. She briefly let off the accelerator and mashed it back down, creating two massive black clouds of exhaust, completely covering the blue hot-rod and most of the three lanes of traffic as well. She laughed out loud, speeding off towards the highway on-ramp on the right. She did another quick check of her mirrors. She was _long_ gone.

Another win chocked up for the morning.

"Nice."

/.../

With a loud roar from the exhaust brake, she rumbled to a slow stop in front of her office building and shut the motor off. She took a drink from her expensive caramel-infused iced latte she had bought on the way over at _COFFEEHAUS._ Her truck had barely fit in the drive-through lane. She kicked the door open and stepped down onto the concrete, grabbing her jacket from the passenger seat and folding it over her arm.

"Might I take that from you, ma'am?"

She turned, aiming a warm smile at the valet manager in his tight-fitting vest and bowtie.

"Why thank you very much. Make sure to leave me _some_ clutch, though."

He smiled, sunlight glinting off his brass cufflinks.

"But of course. Did you leave _me_ any fuel in it to park it, or is this it's final resting place?"

She laughed, handing over the keys.

"There's enough. Besides, you've been doing this job longer than I've been alive, I trust you're a lot more qualified to be nice to it than I am."

"Miss Schnee, please, you flatter me. Enjoy your day at work."

"Of course!"

With that, she turned and crossed the entry way and pushed her way through the two massive glass doors that led into the lobby. She had them replaced after she had smashed them both the other day. Who knew that glass doors of this size would be seven thousand lien _each?_ But, she had paid for it. No self-respecting business had cardboard doors for longer than two hours.

"Right. Onward and upward."

She strode across the marble floor of the lobby, her very expensive and very one-of-a-kind designer ankle boots clacking loudly against the huge multi-coloured gemstone snowflake emblem that stretched across the floor. She flicked her wrists, slinging the jacket around her shoulders and letting it flow down her back, very nearly touching the floor. She popped the long brown coat's wide lapels open a little further so they at least didn't sit flat. She subconsciously adjusted the little glazed snowflake pin on her left lapel so it sat straighter, pulling her sunglasses off and tucking them into the inside pocket of her coat.

"Now, where's my..."

She spotted him from across the lobby. Not that she could have missed, of course. He was a full two foot taller than she was. She strode over to the enormous man, who had squeezed himself into a very respectable black suit and red tie. His face was well shaven, clearly a woman's hand had done this as it was much straighter and neater than she had ever seen him do to himself.

"There you are! Good morning, Lieutenant."

He nervously shifted his stance, holding the grey binder close to his chest. Weiss calmed a fraction, glad it wasn't a _red_ binder kind of day.

"Ma'am."

The huge faunus seemed uneasy today. Maybe it was her overly chipper attitude that was throwing him off. She tried a softer smile, focusing on his eyes and not on the few garish scars that snaked up from below his collar and over his throat.

"Walk with me, why don't we."

She turned to the stairs, noticing his momentary hesitation before her lumbered along.

"So, Lieutenant, give me the bad news first."

He coughed.

"Uh, we've had some problems with two mining operations along the western Mistrali coast. Just small trifles with two splinter cells. Not a huge deal. Nothing your security can't handle, ma'am."

She turned an eye to him, beginning the climb up the building's opulent spiral staircase.

"You paused. What's the real issue?"

He opened the binder and pulled out a page. She took it from him and gave it a quick glance.

"W-well... the main operation in the Hydrangea Plains took a serious hit from a cell yesterday morning."

She paused for a moment, continuing upwards.

"What kind of hit?"

"A large party of Fang members went in with some stolen military equipment and trashed the site. Destroyed most of the mining fleet with incendiary bombs."

She stopped in her tracks, looking up at him.

"Any casualties?"

"No, ma'am."

She sighed with relief.

"Oh, thank goodness."

"But there was a lot of out equipment destroyed and three of the shafts collapsed."

She brushed the issue away, continuing up the steps.

"That's fine, we can work around that. I just don't understand why they bother attacking anymore. What do they want?"

She dropped the empty latte cup into a small chome garbage can on the second floor landing. Her head of security seemed at a loss. Funny, she trusted him to know everything about the White Fang. Based on his... previous work experience.

"I... I'm not sure. My source tells me that they were upset about the... treatment of faunus on the sites."

" _Still?"_

"Yes, ma'am. I-I wish I could tell you why they think that."

"This has transcended being upsetting. This is just straight-up annoying."

"I understand."

"You used to be Fang, what did _you_ used to think?"

"That's... an unfair comparison, I was Fang when your father ran this business."

She stopped again, nearly tripping him.

"We don't talk about him in this building. Ever."

He winced, his fangs showing.

"My-my apologies, ma'am. When the company was under previous management..."

She nodded. "Better."

"... anyways, during this time, I would... participate in raids. I'm not going to say I wasn't proud of what I did, but I do have my regrets now. Generally, we fought for faunus rights, and the mistreatment of the workers deep in the mines."

The elevator opened up, the glass doors swinging softly. She entered, the large man following and having to duck his head as he entered. With a woosh, the door swung shut, and the elevator started ascending.

"Why would that even be an issue for them anymore. _Literally_ no person, faunus or otherwise works down in the mines. It's all automated down there, and our workers are in comfortable, luxury offices with remote operating stations."

"I believe... I believe it's the principle of it, ma'am."

"Would you still attack us now, knowing the operations are completely safe, and the workers are _hired_ based on _experience_ and _competency_ rather than enslaved?"

Yes, this was a baited question to ask of an employee, of course. But she had no intention of babying the situation. She might have had the funds to replace broken equipment, move facilities as many times as necessary, but the Lieutenant was right. It was the principle of it.

"I suppose I might find pleasure in reckless abandon, yes."

"Mmm, that's what I thought. Can they be dealt with in a safe and polite manner?"

"Of course."

The elevator stopped at the top, the door whooshing open again. Weiss clapped her hands excitedly.

"Excellent! Glad to hear it! Now, where's the good doctor with my field study?"

"Around..."

As they stepped out of the elevator and rounded the corner, a very short and very disgruntled person in a stark white lab coat nearly tripped them both, glare in their eyes and hands behind them. Weiss stopped dead in her tracks, mere inches from running into this newcomer.

"...The corner, evidently. Thank you, Lieutenant. You are dismissed."

"Of course."

He sighed and turned away, retreating down the hall. It was humorous to watch him have to bow his head so he didn't take one of the emergency exit signs off the ceiling. She turned back towards the lab coat, her boots squeaking on the polished tile floor.

"Doctor, good morning."

They continued frowning with a huff, as if to say 'go fuck yourself'. Arshon wasn't the happiest of individuals, but Weiss tried her best to get them to open up. Their brown, almost olive skin was starting to show its age. Arshon _was_ almost fifty, though.

"Schnee."

And still standoffish as ever. Arshon had worked for both her grandfather and her father during their time with her company, and now they worked for her. It wasn't a stretch to think that _maybe_ Arshon wasn't fond of the Schnees.

Arshon was a peculiar individual. Short, curly black hair. Thick, horn-rimmed glasses. A tough, stocky build. Doctor Ai was an ex-military science officer who once worked for the King himself, before being kidnapped by the Fang and held captive for eight years, forced against their will to create- and this was true –weapons of mass destruction. Arshon, to their credit, put this off as long as possible without being killed. Their rescue was bittersweet, being saved by an SDC task force and then employed by her grandfather Nicholas as head of R&D for the then-new mining operation.

This was by no means a blessing. Her grandfather, despite his great legacy and his fair attitude towards his equal-rights workforce, Arshon was _still_ technically White Fang in his eyes. In order to keep what he thought was a potential threat at bay, the good doctor was kept at arm's length, locked deep away in the bowels of what was considered a _private_ laboratory, and made to refine and purify dust and dust crystals, in order to prevent what he thought might be a hostile individual from harming anyone else.

This was probably because of the brand.

A permanent brand of the Fang, seared into their face. The sigil, shaped to match the garish Fang logo, had been pressed into their cheek and eye with a branding iron, usually reserved for cattle and horses, had been marred across the dark skin. Arshon was otherwise unharmed by the Cell, but nonetheless affected. Weiss often wondered what the short person was like in their previous life, but she didn't know if even Arshon themselves remembered. The permanent ire displayed was not without cause, and Weiss knew she could accept that. Abuse does things to a person. Even a soldier.

Weiss winced, thinking of one in particular.

She gave the doctor a welcoming smile, which seemed to put them off more.

"You having a good morning, Doctor?"

She turned towards her office, strutting forward with purpose. Arshon followed along, hands still behind their back.

"I'm not sure that's relevant."

"That bad, huh? Well, I'm certain that not _all_ of your morning was bad."

"Mmm. The coffee in the breakroom sucks, the traffic in the morning sucks, and most of all, this place sucks."

Apparently not.

"Alright, just give me the news."

A binder hit her in the stomach, making her cough. She barely caught it before it, and she, tumbled to the floor. She managed to stay upright, a little perturbed.

"The M3002 vein in site seventeen-six is showing promising signs. The deposit is rich, and sonar indicates close to seventy thousand tonnes of ore."

She opened the binder and gave the first couple of graphs a once-over.

"That's good."

"Site twenty-one-one is getting low, we've dropped below forty percent remaining. We estimate about six months left at the site."

"And have we found a new site?"

"Up north. Site thirty-nine-seven. Sonar and ultrasound show F-class deposits, one of which is nearly fifteen kilometres wide."

Her eyebrows went up.

"That's _very_ good, then. What's the catch?"

"Deposits of D-class minerals clouding the ground. They can be excavated, but not without a significant cost. We'll need enhanced drilling equipment and non-gas based explosives to begin excavation."

"We have the drilling permits?"

"For months, now."

She nodded.

"Consider it done. When can you start?"

Arshon pondered for a moment.

"Four months."

She smiled.

"Go for it. Take five months if you want to."

Arshon's face seemed to wash away the sour attitude for the briefest of moments, before returning to the usual doom and gloom and pacing off. Weiss stopped to watch them go. Arshon's actions, despite being so short, held enough intimidation that a few other employees actually moved aside as they stormed off down the hallway and around the corner. Weiss paused for a moment, contemplating the new information about the sites. She sniffled, and adjusted her hair, catching her reflection in a piece of chrome.

"Weird."

She pushed a strand of hair back into line with the others, looking back down the hall to where Arshon's office was. She pursed her lips and wondered aloud.

"How did you put up with us, Doc?"

With a turn, she made her way down the other hallway towards her own office. Arshon was a confusing individual, but a hard worker. She could never be mad at them, even after being hit in the stomach with a binder full of nonsense that only made sense to Arshon alone. Whatever, she thought.

The building was sparse this morning, with only a few stragglers from the night cleaning duty and the odd early-riser, herself, the Lieutenant and the good doctor not included. The building didn't officially open for another forty-five minutes, so it gave Weiss the opportunity to speak with her heads of staff, and to make coffee in her office. On the off chance that she didn't have any meetings, emails to answer, or surprise visitors, that is.

She ducked into a side room. The storage closet along the edge of the long hallway was well hidden behind a thick wood panel that blended into the wall, lit on the inside by hidden lights. This was her panic room in times of emergency, as the ceiling came down with a chrome handle to expose an escape hatch. But in times of _non_ emergency, it was just a storage closet where she hid stuff she didn't want her employees to know about. Like board games. She rifled through her pile, pulling the thick redwood case from the bottom of the stack. She squatted back, flipping up the silver latches and opening the box.

"Hello, my pretties."

The thirty-two Grimm-ivory pieces gleamed back up at her. Each were individually hand-carved, and the two shades of ivory beautifully contrasted one another. The marble and quartz board was inlaid with gold trim. She hadn't seen this board in a long time. The fact that it still retained its lustre was proof of the workmanship enough. She shut the lid, standing up.

" _Huhhh."_

Or, she _tried._ The box may have been magnificently constructed, but it was also magnificently heavy. She had to brace herself on the shelf behind her to stand up. With a kick, she managed to get the door open again, and lumbered back into the hall. She stumbled along the hallway, taking a left past her office and down towards the conference rooms. Sandy wasn't at her desk yet, but her backpack was. Weiss guessed she was probably making herself coffee in the breakroom. At least Arshon would have company.

The conference hall she liked most was also the furthest away from her. Her brow sweat as the sixty-pound case tried to drag her to the floor. She was thankful that she had chosen a pair of sneakers today, and not her heels. She would have certainly broken both her ankles.

"C'mon, weakling. Lets go."

 _Hey, that's my job._

She smirked. One of the night cleaning crew walked past her and gave her a weird look. She smiled at him and played it off like the box weighed nothing at all. No, it _wasn't_ digging into her hands. No it _wasn't_ uncomfortably pushing her belt into her stomach.

She reached the conference room at the end of the hallway. The little glass screen still indicated that it was both unoccupied and locked. She realized that this was now going to be a problem. Her access card was in her pocket. And her hands were full.

"Shit."

She looked around.

"Oh, Doctor Alvarez, can you come here?"

The tall, skinny woman in a fancy grey suit turned, her attention grabbed. She frowned over at her, but straightened her back and walked over.

"You forget your card, Miss Schnee?"

Weiss shook her head, trying not to groan.

"No, it's in my pocket. Can you let me in?"

The woman's reptilian eyes softened as she smiled.

"Of course! What's in the box, though?"

She leaned over and pulled her own ID card out of her blazer, the little black elastic string coming with it. A loud beep sounded as the door unlocked.

"Chess set. Imported. It's a luxury chess set."

"Oh _nice,_ do you play often?"

Weiss nodded as she entered the room. As soon as it was withing reach, she placed the box down on the table with a thump, very nearly catching her fingers under the edges.

"Eh, usually only when my sister's home. I'm not really that good."

She paused to open the box. Doctor Alvarez gasped as the lid came up to reveal the pieces and board.

"It's just my first meeting today likes chess."

Her associate nodded, standing upright.

"Well, I hope for that for your sake, you win. Have a good day, ma'am."

She smiled as she left, leaving Weiss alone in the room. She turned her attention back to the box.

"Yeah. I hope I do too."

/.../

The stage was set. She sat in the high-backed leather chair, her back to the huge picture window. Her fingers tented in front of her. Her opponent was soon to arrive. She smiled at the door evilly.

"Wait, no."

She sat back in the chair, leaning over instead on one elbow and placing her right hand menacingly before her face. She crossed her legs and draped her left hand over the edge of the chair arm. Was that _too_ intimidating, perhaps? She fidgeted.

"What about this?"

She leaned forward instead, propping her torso up on both elbows and interlocking her fingers.

"Gosh, I wish I had a cat for this."

She scratched her head. A nice, white Persian cat would complete the look she was trying to go for. She stood, spinning the chair back towards the window. Her shoulders shivered. With one hand on the window for support, she pulled off her sneakers and placed them beside her. She exhaled slowly, trying to ease herself.

"Okay... new plan."

She turned, grabbing her sneakers off the floor again and _slid_ herself across the room on her socks, sliding to a stop at the oak panelled wall on the side of the room. She looked back to where she'd come from.

"Well I just wanna do that again."

But not today. She placed her palm against the panel, and it slid easily sideways to reveal a hidden closet where she had hidden a bunch of outfits. Very often did it happen that five minutes before meetings, she would need a change of clothes. She tossed the shoes onto the rack at the back of the closet, grabbing a pair of fine Mistralian leather shoes, the deep brown leather polished to a mirror finish. She smiled.

" _Byoutiful_."

Her feet slipped in without even a change of socks. She quickly unbuttoned her blazer, pulling it off and tossing it to a hook along the left wall of the closet, giving a glance out the big window. He hadn't arrived yet. This was good for a moment. She reached back inside and pulled out a long navy blue coat and pulled it over her shoulders, letting it hang down like she'd seen in the movies. She caught herself in the mirror in the back of the closet.

 _Menacing._

She clapped. Perfect. She grabbed her glasses out of the pocket of her other blazer and slid them on. Another check in the mirror.

"Even better."

She stepped back and closed the closet door with a whoosh of pneumatic pressure. She glanced back out the window, down at the road.

" _Oh shit!"_

The limo had arrived. Huge, black, and chrome-plated, shining in the sunlight. She quickly darted over to the other side of the huge conference room and slammed her hand into a control panel on the wall. The wall itself slowly started whirring upwards and out of the way, revealing a huge stereo system, complete with four floor-to-ceiling speakers and two big subwoofers placed along the bottom. Impatiently, she popped the lid on the system's turntable and pulled a record out of the rack above it. The black vinyl disk slipped easily out, and it just as easily slid onto the spindle. She pulled the needle over the edge of the record, keeping the drop switch in the up position. The record started to spin up to speed.

She quickly adjusted her collar, straitening up and brushing herself off. A few strands from her bangs invaded her eye, and were quickly pushed back up into the quaff.

"Goodness, uh, okay..."

She hadn't fully prepared, but she was ready enough. She spun back around and jumped back over to the big walnut desk. The clasps on the box came up one more, and she ripped open the lid, exposing the expensive board. With some effort, she pulled it up and out of the box and placed it on the wide table , between her chair and the one she had pulled from the closet for her guest. The pieces came out of the thick velvety foam and onto the board.

"Okay... Rook, knight, bishop..."

She idly thought out loud as she lined up each of the ivory pieces, black on her side, and right on her opponent's. As was fair _and expected of her_ when playing against someone of her opponent's status. With the board set up, she shut the lid of the case and stashed it under the table, out of the reach of anyone's feet. Speaking of, she could now hear footsteps coming up the hallway. She had no more than a few moments left to prepare.

"Ahh..."

A few nervous noises came out of her mouth as she dashed over to the side of the room again and grabbed the bucket full of ice that had a bottle of the finest Mistralian champagne chilling for the past hour now. She grabbed two flutes from the drawer, shutting it with her hip and dashing back over to the table, setting it down on the edge of the table. The footsteps stopped just outside the door. She gasped. The lock on the door beeped.

"Ack!"

She jumped at the chair, ending up backwards, facing the window. Her meticulous planning had been far _too_ meticulous, and now she needed to wing it. What of her elegant speech she was gonna use on him? The door swung open. One very heavy and distinct set of foot falls came across the floor, stopping short of the desk. Four more sets followed the first set in. She could hear the unmistakable sound of claws extending and retracting on the hardwood.

 _Excellent._

It was time to wing it.

"A chessgame, a chessgame, my kingdom..."

She paused, spinning the chair slowly around to face her guests.

"...for a chessgame."

She hit the queuing drop button on the little remote for the sound system. The needle dropped. The first four notes of Beethoven's 5th played loudly as she caught the eyes of her guest.

There he stood. The man-mountain himself. The _King_ of all Menagerie. Well, due to the more archaic monarchical system in place in Menagerie, he was the _Chieftain,_ not the king. She stood from her chair, her shoulders back and her head held high. She extended her hand over the table, palm down towards the floor, her fingers extended for the man to take.

"Your majesty."

He took her hand, putting his other hand behind his back. He bowed low, gently kissing the back of her hand. His facial hair tickled the skin of her hand as she curtseyed just as low. He righted himself, letting go of her hand and adjusting his shoulders.

"Miss Schnee."

With a shrug of his _massive_ shoulders, his purple velveteen coat fell backwards as the clasp came undone. One of his red-suited bodyguards swept up from behind and caught it before the precious fabric touched the floor. It was neatly folded and placed aside on the long conference table that lay at the other end of the room. She discretely turned the volume down on the stereo.

"I trust the ride over was... comfortable?"

He chuckled, his enormous, and now _nude_ chest shaking as he did.

"Yes, yes it was. Thank you for the use of your limo, it was quite serene."

She smiled, sitting back down. She gestured for him to do the same and he did, pulling out his chair and folding his tall, thick body into it. It wasn't actually _her_ limo. It was another requisition from her brother, who probably was only now figuring out that it was missing from the garage.

"Oh please, it was nothing. Nothing more than some simple luxuries for a friend."

"And I greatly appreciate it today, Madame."

She smiled up at him. With a snap of her fingers, one of his guards dashed over to attention next to the table.

"Can I interest you in some champagne? It's a vintage from the year you were born, actually."

He chuckled, his laugh hoarse and gruff. Exactly as she expected a man of both his size and species.

"Really? A sixty-year-old champagne, just for me? You really shouldn't have. I'm not worth that kind of expense."

"Of course you are, sir! Nothing less for the high leader of the greatest vacation destination on the planet!"

He let out a hearty laugh.

"Only you vacation there, Miss Schnee. Because, what was it they call me? Something quite intimidating?"

She put her hand on a cane she procured from under the table, resting it oh so perfectly balanced under her fingers.

" _The Animal,_ was it? I can't remember quite so. Paige-boy?"

The young bodyguard in the red suit stopped pouring the two drinks, a nervous sweat in his brow.

"Um, yes ma'am."

"Precisely. So you can see why Menagerie is not the most popular place to visit."

The two flutes were delivered to each side of the table, on the correct sides of the board for each of them. Weiss noticed that the Paige had put the glass to her left side, which was a nice touch.

"Pish posh, my good man."

She took a sip of her drink and he did the same.

"Isn't a bit early for alcohol, though? To think what the public would think of their Chieftain partaking in such _day-drinking._ "

"What would a Chieftain be without day-drinking, though? I certainly never could get anything done without alcohol. Especially more recently."

"Mmm, yes I heard. I am truly sorry about your friend and classmate. It unfortunately happens to the best of us at the worst of times."

They sat in silence for a moment, reflecting. Weiss spun her cane under her index finger for a moment, before hoisting it up and grabbing it in her hand. With a flick of her wrist, the cane slid into its little holders under the table. Today wasn't a day for reflection.

"Yes, well. Shall we get started?"

Weiss gestured to the tabletop. Her opponent crossed his arms over his burly and furry chest.

"Well, as much as I'd enjoy to play for fun, I'm thinking I remember you offering up a wager for _this time_ last time we played."

Weiss raised her eyebrow.

"Oh? You remembered? Well..."

"Go on. Hit me with your worst."

"How about some fatherly advice, then?"

He paused, confused.

"I-I'm sorry... excuse me?"

"Fatherly advice. Something I'm unfortunately lacking in."

"I- Uh, okay. I suppose. And if I win?"

"Then... my beach house?"

He straightened up, a light coming to his eyes.

"The one on the coast? Ooh, I like that one. Sure. Some fatherly advice for a beach house. That's fair."

He leaned forward, scooting his chair up to the edge of the table. He reached out to move his first piece.

"Now, I do believe I get the first move, my dear."

She gestured to the board. His huge fingers delicately lifted his king's pawn. To E4. Weiss kept her composure. This would be easy.

Black pawn to C5.

"So, tell me. Did you hear about the recent attacks on my mines?"

White pawn to G3.

"I did. I'm sorry to hear that."

Black Pawn to G6.

"Well, what can you do. The Fang is as the Fang does. I'm not too too worried about it."

White King's bishop to G2.

He chuckled, watching her moving her King's bishop to G7.

"Well, you know, when I made the Fang, It was never my intention for it to turn out like it did. We were about peace. Acceptance."

White King's knight to E2.

"Yeah, well, from my experience, nothing ever turns out the way it's intended."

Black Queen's knight to C6.

"Heh. Well, originally the Fang was created as a fun name for my hunting group. Back before I was Chieftain, and before I had met Kali, even. It was just myself and my friends, shooting the proverbial shit as it were."

White Pawn to C3.

"Oh yeah, and that's another thing. I never understood the name. _White Fang._ In what world was that ever going to be a name used for good purposes? It's basically set up for evil."

Black King's knight to F6.

"I'm sure I don't know what you mean."

White Queen's knight to A3.

"It's called _White Fang._ Dude, you've got _segregation_ and then _teeth._ Don't tell me that wasn't on purpose."

Black pawn to D5.

"...Would you believe it was a committee effort?"

White pawn takes black at D5.

"Oh?"

Black knight takes white pawn at D5.

"Yeah, actually. Sienna wanted it to be _The Black Death._ Now in my opinion, that was the harshest of all our ideas."

White knight to C2.

"As in... the plague? Why would she choose a name like that?"

Black kingside castle.

White pawn to D4.

"Well, she was always the more... aggressive of us hunters. She was also the only woman, so it's safe to assume she was... compensating for a lack of testosterone."

Black pawn takes white at D4.

White pawn takes black at D4.

Black Queen's bishop to G4.

"I don't see why she'd need to compensate. Are you implying that, as a woman, she wasn't manly enough for you?"

He chuckled, baring his own white fangs. White pawn to F3.

"Of course not, I was implying that _she personally_ liked to go overboard. My name choice was to be the _Brothers Grimm._ We still fought the Grimm, and most of us were actually brothers, so it seemed fitting to me. But, you can't please everybody."

Black Bishop to F5.

"But why _White Fang_ though? Still seems kinda... brutish."

White knight to E3.

"We chose that because it seemed... fitting. We were faunus, most of us having claws, pronounced canines, you know. Traits of large felines. So _Fang._ White because we came to the agreement that is symbolized innocence. It symbolized peace."

Black Queen to A5.

"Check. And yet..."

White King to F2.

"Yes, yes, I know. I was overthrown, and my group became a terrorist cell. The least they could have done was change the name. Bunch of lousy human-hating bigots."

Weiss paused for a moment to take a drink of her champagne. She could see her opponent pursing his lips at the recent moves, peering at the board through his thin-rimmed purple glasses. She liked how they matched his coat and the velvety accents on the sides of his open-toed boots. Black knight to B4.

"You remember when racism was a thing?"

White knight takes black bishop at F5.

"It still is a thing, Weiss."

Black Queen takes knight at F5.

"No, I don't mean human-faunus racism. I mean the kind between different groups of human or faunus _within_ their own species. Remember that?"

White pawn to G4.

"Oh, I see what you are referring to. Yes, I do remember. There was a time when even _I_ was bullied for what I was. I assume you never had that misfortune?"

Black knight to D3.

"Check. No, I was never so unlucky. I think that kind of inter-species racism died out around the time the Fang was rising to power. When the _bad_ Fang was promoting equality for all faunus by making the human race a common enemy."

White King to G3.

"I believe we know who is responsible for that. On both sides."

Black knight takes pawn at D4.

"Heh... yeah. I'm sorry, I wish I could disown him. But you can't really disown your father, now can you?"

White pawn takes black Queen at F5.

"Blake tried. A few times, running off with _our_ side of the issue. But I couldn't ever get it in her head that she was wrong. So stubborn. She learned the hard way that the answer was through equality for _everyone,_ not just the faunus."

Black knight takes pawn at F5.

"Check. I wish it was easy to tell father that."

White King to G4.

"I'm sure your father had his reasons for doing what he did. Mind you, they were still evil, but no one acts that way out of spite. I know for a fact he doesn't hate the faunus."

Black pawn to H5.

"Yeah, I heard. Some bullshit about mother all but leaving him as a husk of alcohol and depression. He came here the other day and showed me that he still loved me. I didn't believe it. There's no way. Also check."

White king to H3.

"My daughter joined and then _dated_ an actual terrorist. His daughter single-handedly rebuilt a company he had destroyed in his anger after losing his wife. I think he's just as proud as I am."

Weiss tapped her finger on her black knight.

"Yeah... but I can't help but think of it as a bad dream, meant to confuse me."

"I can assure you it wasn't. As much as I hate your father for what he did to my species, he made _you,_ and you helped to save it. So is he really that bad?"

Weiss pondered. Here was the leader of Menagerie himself _actually commending_ her father's actions. He was supposed to be this vile man with no ambitions other than the enslavement of the faunus for financial gain. But he had... sort of proven himself otherwise. And now he was being defended by the most unlikely of people.

"Weiss, he wants you to rebuild yourself out of this hole you've dug. The same way you pulled his company out of the hole. Arguably, what you're doing to yourself is worse in his eyes. He doesn't want you to end up like the company."

"But why?"

"Because he loves you, Weiss. Just like I love _my_ daughter despite, and I'll say this again, _actual terrorism._ So maybe give him the benefit of the doubt just this once?"

"Okay. If you say so. I'll trust you."

He held his arms wide.

"That's what I'm here for, sweetheart. Oh look, I gave you some fatherly advice, and you didn't even win yet. How about that, huh?"

Weiss smiled.

"You sure about that?"

Black knight to F2.

"Check and _mate,_ Ghira."

He didn't even look down at the board, as if he had seen this coming. Weiss twitched.

"Wh- why are you smiling? I won."

"Did you?"

Weiss stammered.

"Y-yes, I did! You can't move your king anywhere I can't take it out!"

"Forget about the chessgame, sweetheart. Did you _win?"_

"I-I don't..."

Ghira shrugged his wide and muscular shoulders.

"In time, you'll figure out what I mean. In my opinion, you are at the cusp. You have almost won. You just need that one last drive to push you up and out of your hole."

He stood up from his chair with a grunt and a groan of the wooden chair. Weiss stood as well, flustered. His advice, as it _always_ was, confused her. He was far to cryptic with his responses, and she remembered a few times Blake mentioning exactly this. He never gave a straight answer. She made him disgruntled.

"Well... thank you for the advice, then. I'll certainly do my best, sir."

"Anytime, my dear."

The young red-suited paige boy brought his coat back over and helped him get it on. Ghira chuckled as he did up his chrome clasp. He pulled a pocket watch out of his coat and checked the time. Weiss pulled herself up and out of her chair again, this time slowly.

"Well, I do believe I need to take my leave now. Ambassador's meeting and all."

Weiss extended her hand across the table for him to shake. He did, enveloping her small, ladylike hands in his enormous clawed, muscular ones.

"It was nice having you around once again. A shame you didn't get to beat me."

"Indeed. Perhaps one day."

"Yeah. Perhaps. _Auf Wiedersehen,_ Ghira."

"And to you as well, Weiss. Take heed of my advice."

He turned face, putting his hands behind his back and pacing away, his four red suits pushing swiftly out of the room. Weiss smiled as she watched him leave, waiting patiently until the door gently closed behind them. As soon as he was out of earshot, she collapsed back into her chair with a deep sigh. Her jacket fell off her shoulders and scrunched up under her back on the high-backed chair.

"Why? Why do he gotta be like that?"

She was emotionally drained.

"Plech."

She stuck her tongue out, biting it between her front teeth. She glanced over at the bucket on the edge of the table. She sat up and reached for it, sliding it over to herself and pulling the chilled, condensating bottle of bubbly up and out of it. She popped the cork, and went to pour herself a glass.

"Wait..."

She paused, the bottle outstretched in her arms and held sideways over the glass flute. Did she really want to do this? No, she didn't. She sighed, putting the bottle back down on the surface with a thunk. She stood up again, grabbing her coat and pulling it on, sliding her arms _into_ the sleeves this time.

"Like he said. Up and out of the hole."

She righted herself, looking back down at the chessboard. She chuckled, reaching over and slowly knocking over the white king piece, making a little sound with her mouth as she did.

"I can conquer one thing, I can conquer all things."

She smiled, content.

"Well, guess I better go do my job."

She too turned, and left the conference room. She'd be back later anyway for her shoes. She'd clean up then. She knew she had another meeting today, but not for another few hours. She sighed, her expertly polished shoes clicking softly on the floor. She realized as she moved towards her office that she actually had spent nearly two hours in the conference room, setting up the board and her outfit. This meant that she'd have quite a pile of papers in her _In_ bin at this point. Nearly two hours of it, actually. She rounded the corner, eyeing the desk of her PA. Said PA was there, waiting for her, a fresh coffee sitting on the desk. Weiss smiled.

"Good morning, Sandy."

Sandy seemed panicked. Weiss pulled up alongside the desk.

"I tried to stop him, ma'am."

Him? Weiss cocked her head.

"But... do I have a meeting this early? I thought my next one was at noon."

"That's what I told him, but he wouldn't listen. He just waltzed in and made himself comfortable. I'm sorry, I-"

Weiss cut her off.

"Hold on... Is he beautiful?"

Sandy paused, her mouth hanging open.

"I... think so. But I don't want to seem rude. It's your... _ahem_ business partner."

"Oh, so he _is._ Excellent! I think I'll let myself in, then!"

She looked utterly perplexed. Weiss let her suffer like this as she pushed open the door of her office and strolled inside. The early morning sunlight blared in from the huge picture window, but she was prepared for it, raising a hand to block it from burning her eyes. At the other end of the long office stood the man she hadn't expected to be here as soon as he was. It was a welcome surprise.

"Well, hello there."

He turned from his serene gazing out the window, breaking into a big smile as she approached.

"Hello, Weiss."

She totted over and embraced the man, who was perfectly okay with returning her welcoming hug.

"Aren't you a sight for sore eyes today, Lie. You look sharp."

She let go, leaning back and running her fingers under the lapel of his suit jacket. The soft silk felt amazing. He chuckled, letting her examine his outfit.

"This old thing? This is just my flying suit. This is nothing."

Weiss gave him a frumpy smile. How dare he not take a compliment, as _usual._ Would it kill him to do it just once?

"Besides, you certainly look good today. That looks like another of your fabulous custom suits. I'm loving the jacket as well."

"Renny, honey, you should know by this point that _all_ my suits are custom tailored. Do I need to introduce you to mine?"

He chuckled, leaning against her desk and sticking his hands in his pants pockets.

"I'm perfectly fine, thank you."

"Mmm, you certainly are. Anyway, how was your flight?"

"Miserable, as always. I hate flying. I should have bought the bigger plane, but _no,_ I thought the Sigma was good enough."

Weiss gave him her favourite ' _What the hell are you on about'_ look.

"Ren, your plane is like a three-bedroom apartment with wings. It's better then _my_ plane."

"As I recall, you don't have one."

"My point exactly. Now, you're early for our meeting. Do explain. Because I was not prepared for you this morning."

He shrugged, tapping his foot against the floor.

"I was going to have breakfast when I got off the plane, but I didn't find anything to my liking. I remembered there was a little bistro here in Anfang that served this really great fruit platter. You took me to it last visit."

Weiss blinked.

"You mean _Kora's_? It's right up the street, Ren. Did you not go?"

"Apparently the owner is on vacation. They're closed until Monday."

Her shoulders fell. She sighed.

"Oh. Oh well. Do you want me to order in something for you?"

"No no, it's alright. I had some food on the plane."

Weiss circled around to her side of her desk, pulling out her chair and spinning herself into it. Ren took this as an invitation to sit down, sliding himself down into one of her expensive chairs on the other side. He crossed his legs, draping his arms over the armrests.

"Okay, enough time wasting. You showed up because I called you, and now we're gonna discuss that."

He leaned back and interlocked his fingers.

"Alright. Begin."

She exhaled, clenching her fist a few times and trying not to let herself become angry.

"I need to do something. Something drastic."

"Do you."

"I do."

"Hmm."

"It needs to happen."

"I understand."

They paused for a minute. Weiss cringed. She knew she needed to get over herself and just come out with it, even if they both knew what she was referring to. She bit her lip, looking away at the wall.

"About Jaune."

"Okay."

He slapped his hands on his legs, standing up again. He paced slowly over to the large picture window.

"What if I told you someone else has similar goals, but can't bring themselves to confront him?"

"Who else would..."

She stopped mid-word. She knew. It all came to her. All at once. Every feeling she ever had, every moment she ever wanted to let linger. Every time she had thought she had loved and been loved. Every morning at school waking up with the girl of her dreams in her bed. It all came back at once.

"...Ruby."

Ren nodded slowly.

"She called me as well. Right around the same time, too."

Weiss's body couldn't decide whether to sink deeper into the chair and sigh or sit up straight and start panicking. She went with a halfway point between the two, sitting back and pushing her shoulders into the thick leather.

"And what did she want?"

"She wants someone to deal with him. Specifically by bringing him in. To jail, that is."

"I can do that."

"No Weiss, you'd try to kill him, given the chance."

Not strictly false.

"Well... I might, yeah."

"The problem with that is that you'd fail. You would die."

She scoffed. How dare he discredit her.

"That's not a nice thing to say to your colleague."

"It's unfortunately the truth. The meek and meagre Jaune you remember from school is not the same anymore. While you were away at university getting a degree, he became a huntsman. A strong one, at that. Stronger than I've ever known. You'd be slaughtered, Weiss."

"So I'll bring bigger guns."

Ren looked back over, binking a few times.

"You've never fought a huntsman before, have you?"

"Ruby and I used to go to the gym together... couple of months back."

"Did you ever win?"

"Few times."

He laughed for a second.

"She let you. You forget this girl is in _love_ with you, right?"

She twitched, looking down at her hands. She _had_ won fair and square a few times. Right? No, that didn't make sense anymore. Ruby's muscular and tough physique yielded immense strength and surprising flexibility. She also just moved faster than she did. Weiss's head fell. She had been fooled. Fooled by love. She stuck out her tongue.

"Oh."

"Yeah. And remember that I work with Ruby on occasion in the field. She's an unstoppable force. It's just that Jaune is an immovable object."

"How can I break this object? Preferably into many pieces."

He spun back around, waltzing back over to the desk while reaching into his jacket's inside pocket. From it, he procured a piece of folded paper.

"You need to train."

"I'm well trained."

A scoff. Weiss frowned up at him.

"You need to become a _more_ immovable object. You need to become the _strongest._ More than him. More than me. More than Ruby, even. Lucky for you and _un_ lucky for me, he still thinks of me as a friend, so I can keep tabs on him while you train."

She sighed, slouching down. There was no point in arguing any further. Sure, she hadn't trained very much recently. But that was for lack of time. And an excess of alcohol.

"What did you have in mind?"

She was handed the folded piece of paper. She took it, pushing her glasses up her nose so she could see properly as she opened the paper. She rubbed her nose, giving the paper a shake so she could read it. A few names stood out to her on the list.

 _C. Winchester- Hand to hand Combat_

 _S. Wukong- Balance and Stability_

 _C. Fall- Reaction control_

 _M. Zedong- Weapons Training_

 _Q. Branwen- Focus and Strategy_

 _Sgt. Schnee- Aura management_

She tapped the paper with her nails, looking back over at him.

"That's my sister you have written on the bottom of the list, Ren."

He nodded.

"And my mission commander. I said I had an issue with someone, and you'd be helping me. She insisted I have you go meet her. In fact, I wasn't allowed to leave her office until I added her name to the list. That's why hers is written in pencil."

"I see. I guess so, then."

She folded the paper up and placed it on the table. She sighed.

"What'm I gonna do, man?"

He shrugged his shoulders, not making any movements otherwise.

"You train. We plan. We execute said plan. We bring a bad guy to justice."

"Justice? Never liked the stuff."

"Too bad. Can't have you going in with intent to kill. Or have you go in and actually kill him. That would send you to jail, and then what? I tell Ruby that her problem has been dealt with, and now you're in prison? She wouldn't have it, and you know it."

"Can you keep me out of it?"

"No, not if you kill someone. I've got connections, but not _that_ many."

Weiss huffed, spinning her chair in a circle.

"No, I meant can you keep my name private while I do this? Like, don't tell Ruby. I don't want her to know I was involved."

"Oh...kay, any reason why?"

"It's just better if she doesn't know I'm involved. Tell her I'm just your friend from college."

This wouldn't strictly be a lie, as she had attended a few business management classes with Ren at Atlas U a few years prior. He seemed okay with that idea, nodding and adjusting the buttons on his jacket.

"Alright, we can do this. I want him in a cell as badly as you want him underground. But you _need_ to follow the training regime. Or _you_ will be the one in the unmarked grave."

"Alright, I get it. Work out. Geez, man, every time you open your mouth today is to tell me I'm too weak."

"I never said that. I'm sure you're plenty strong."

She chuckled nervously, scratching her nose.

"Well..."

"What's your bench weight?"

Eighty pounds, max.

"Like, one-twenty?"

He scoffed, laughing. She wanted to yell at him, but this was a trained huntsman with _years_ of gym experience and battle training.

"What do you think Ruby's is?"

"I dunno, two, two-thirty?"

Be paused.

"Six hundred and eighty-eight pounds."

"Guhh-"

"Yeah, you need to work out. Actually, speaking of, I forgot I had this. Here."

He reached into his jacket again, pulling out a little envelope from one of his deep pockets. She took it from his fingers and read off the little pink pen scribbled on the front.

" _Nora's Workout?_ Huh, a training schedule, eh?"

"Yeah, she wrote that up this morning before I left. I didn't get a chance to read it, but I'm sure it's reasonable. Don't be alarmed if she's added a whole bunch of squats or lunges. She kept whispering ' _booty'_ to herself while writing it. I personally think you have a good enough booty as it is."

She snickered up at him, placing the envelope aside.

"Why thank you Ren, your ass is excellent as well. Gosh, if only I had a glass of scotch to toast to it, we'd be set."

"Too bad."

"Wait, actually..."

She reached over to her top-most drawer and pulled it open, grabbing a chrome box trimmed in gold leaf. With a thunk, it hit the tabletop.

"Now, it's not scotch, but I figured we need to celebrate this new turning point. _Voila."_

The lid came open, revealing a row of neatly packaged brown paper cylinders, a strange circular cutting tool, and a similarly chrome-and-gold lighter. She pulled two of the cylinders out.

"Cigars?"

"Freshly imported. Menagerie."

"Thought you quit smoking."

"I did. This is a celebration, it doesn't count. Besides, no one else I know smokes, so who am I gonna give them to?"

"A fair point."

He took his from her, grabbing the cutters from the box and snipping the end of the paper off. She took it in turn to do the same, gently placing the cutter back into the little recess in the padded box. The lighter came out of its hole with a little more force than she was expecting, but once it was free she flicked it open and set it ablaze.

"To turning a new leaf?"

"How about... to saving Ruby."

Weiss smiled.

"I like that better. To saving Ruby!"

They 'clinked' their cigars, lighting the ends and each taking a deep drag. The course, acrid smoke filled her lungs immediately. It was not what she had been expecting.

" _Wahhh!"_

She coughed, nearly throwing up onto her desk as her lungs heaved with a sharp pain. Ren was doing his best to not do the same, coughing into his fist. Each time he did, little puffs of smoke plumed out from within his fingers.

"What the _fuck_ is in these things?"

Her questioning didn't stop her from taking a second drag from the horrible tasting garbage-stick.

"I believe it's pretty much pure tobacco."

Hey, at least it was better for them than regular cigarettes.

"This stuff sucks. But you know what?"

"What?"

She took another drag.

"Feels right. Like I am in control of how badly my life sucks."

Ren took another of his own.

"Deeply philosophical. However, I can't help but notice you're currently injuring yourself on purpose."

Weiss shrugged, finishing off her cigar and putting it out in the chrome ash tray on the inside of the box's lid. She coughed a few times. Yep, this was definitely worse in terms of the mouth and lung feel compared to cigarettes, but now that she had finished it, she noticed it actually tasted better. Not that she advocated smoking at all. Ren finished his as well, putting it out on the sole of his shoe.

"Yeah, story of my life. I'm workin' on it, though. You'll see."

"I intend to. That's why I'm here."

"So what are you gonna do now?"

He sighed, blowing a final cloud of thick smoke out through his nose, swirling it around his face.

"I have to get back on the plane, and make the trip to Patch."

"You're gonna go see Ruby?"

"And Yang. We have things to discuss."

Her shoulders fell.

"Oh... does that mean you have to leave now?"

"I do. Why, did you want me to stay around?"

She flushed a little, rubbing her arm.

"I mean... _kinda._ I thought you were coming around at lunch time, and I was gonna buy you lunch 'n all that. But now you're gonna leave and I won't have that chance now."

He blinked back at her from his side of the table.

"You take me on lunch dates once a month, and besides, I'll be back for real business reasons in twelve days. Don' t be so dramatic."

"Bitch, I'm the _queen_ of drama."

"Oh, I know. I used to live across the hall from you."

"Ugh, don't remind me. Look, if you need to break my heart and stand me up, you go. Go see Ruby."

"There are nicer ways to kick me out of your office."

She laughed.

"Go! And if you can... give her a hug from me?"

"Want me to keep your identity secret for that too?"

"Mmm... nah. You can tell her that one."

It was his turn to chuckle.

"Alright, I certainly will. Get on that list, Weiss. I suggest you see your sister first."

He stood, placing his cigar stub in the ashtray and straightening his jacket, brushing off a few bits of fluff.

"I will. We're gonna do this, Ren."

"We are. _Adieu."_

As he turned to leave, Weiss called out again for him, a smile coming to her lips.

"Ap-pap-pap-pap. You don't get to leave yet. You forgot something."

He turned back around.

"What would that be?"

She extended both her arms forward to him.

"My hug."

With an amused smile, he sauntered back over and embraced the short woman, who had to get up on her tiptoes just to hug him properly. After a second or two, she released him, straightening his tie as she stepped back.

"There. You go see Ruby. Get outta my office."

He chuckled.

"I will. I'll be back."

She waved him off as he left, but not before stopping at the door and giving her the same look a concerned but proud parent might. She blew him a dramatic, arm-flailing kiss as he left with a dry laugh. The moment the door clicked shut, she relaxed, dropping her shoulders down and relaxing against the edge of her desk.

"I hope that's soon, buddy."

Being friends with Ren had its benefits, sometimes. He was polite, respectful, tact. He gave her expensive bits of new unreleased tech his company was producing whenever she wanted. The perfect man, really. She always thought it was too bad she wasn't into men, or else Ren would have been probably not her first choice, but the right one. Plus, it was a good thing she didn't _like-_ like him or else she'd have been murdered. By Nora. Who was her second choice for women.

Today's benefit was twofold. They had a plan to take down a target they both needed to, and she had been able to gaze at his bum as she watched him walk out the room.

She laughed at the sudden intrusive though. She turned and looked down at the desk, where she had placed the envelope.

"I guess it's time to start working out."

She cracked her neck as she reached down to grab it. With a bit of focus, she managed to make a small, stable glyph in her right hand, using it like a pizza wheel to open the paper envelope. It fizzled out with a hiss and she reached inside to grab the fitness instructions Nora had written her.

"Okay, what do you have in store for me today..."

She unfolded the paper, reading it aloud.

"Step one; get yourself two large, muscular men- wait, _WHAT?!"_


	34. Chapter 34, Fatherhood

Chapter 71

Three solid knocks on the door pulled her from her trance.

" _Ruby? Honey? Hurry up, kiddo, we got places to be!"_

"Yeah, sorry I'll be right out. Just gotta finish my makeup."

There was a pause. She scrambled to pull the cabinet open and grab some of Yang's face paint.

" _But you don't wear makeup, hun."_

"Yeah, but today I'm leaving the property. Gotta put my best foot forward!"

He laughed from the other side of the door. That was the mantra he used to patter off to her and her sister whenever they used to try leaving the house after dressing themselves.

" _That's my girl. Hurry you tushie, kiddo."_

"Yeah, yeah. I'm comin'."

She had been caught staring at herself in the mirror. Not disgusted by what she was looking at, just sorta standing there topless, examining the reflection of the scar. The scary voice in her head had stayed silent the whole time. In fact, what sounded like the guitar riff from a Marcy Playground song was floating around her brain.

But scar or no scar, her dad was right, she needed to get moving. She scrambled around in the cabinet, finally feeling the chrome box that held all of her sister's makeup. It was up on the very top shelf, almost out of reach. She sighed, remembering that Yang would always deliberately hide things _just_ out of reach when they were younger so that Ruby didn't mess with her stuff. This was pretty fair, in hindsight. The box hit the counter with a thump, and the lit sprung open.

"What the hell?"

Most of what she was seeing didn't make sense to her. It was full of pastes and powder paints and markers and a slew of other things that looked like torture devices. So much effort for what she wanted. Almost too much. She was only going into the next town, it wasn't like she was going to a fancy black tie event. With a quick rummage, she found herself an eyeliner pencil.

She exhaled, trying to calm herself.

Popping the cap off, she leaned forward to the mirror. She shivered, remembering how much this sucked to do. With her right fingers, she gently held her eyelid down, using her knuckle as a hand rest for her other wrist. Her eye watered the moment the pencil touched her eyelid, making her blink.

"Ack!"

She tried not to tear up as she sputtered and wiped her eye with the back of her hand. With a shake of her head, she tried again and leaned forward to the mirror. She exhaled slowly, holding her breath. This was no different than the focus needed to make a shot at a thousand metres. Just her target was literally her own face. Her pulse slowed, her other eye falling closed. The pencil came in with surgical precision, less than a millimetre from her eyelid.

She let it land.

And then she poked herself in the eyeball.

"Fuck!"

She dropped the pencil into the sink where it clattered against the drain. She seethed for a moment, holding her eye closed.

"Fuck, ow, _YANG!"_

There was silence for a moment, followed by some footsteps from the kitchen.

" _Yeah?"_

"C'mere, I need you."

" _Just a sec, honey."_

Ruby waited 'just a sec', grabbing the bathrobe off the back of the door and pulling it around herself to cover up. After the 'sec' had passed, Yang's voice came back as she knocked on the door.

" _Can I come in? Are you decent?"_

"Yeah, yeah."

The door opened. Yang strolled in, still wearing her apron and still covered in both cooked and uncooked pancake batter. Her right arm still bore the thick leather straps that held it to her torso, so this was a good sign that she either hadn't checked the mail yet or her package just hadn't arrive with the new one today. The girl didn't seem bothered by it, so Ruby wasn't either.

"What's cookin', good lookin'?" she asked, untying her apron.

"I stabbed myself in the eye with the eyeliner."

Yang reached down into the sink and grabbed the little pencil. She looked at it, frowned, then let out a dry chuckle.

"Honey, this is an eyebrow pencil. It's not meant for your eyes."

"Oh."

"Do you need my help?"

Ruby nodded. "Yeah, I haven't done this in a while."

Yang smiled and re-capped the pencil. "Okay, sit down, I'll doll you up real nice."

"Yang, I don't need to be 'dolled up'."

"Nonsense! You're my little sister, it's my duty as your big sis to make you look as pretty as possible all the time!"

Ruby lowered the toilet seat lid and sat down as Yang pulled a small step stool out from under the sink. She recognized the little blue plastic step as the one she used to use back when she was a child so she could reach the sink when brushing her teeth. Who knew a little bit of blue plastic could bring back so many memories? Yang sat down in front of her on the stool, pulling the box of makeup down off the counter and onto the floor.

"Okay, sit still."

"What if I don't wanna?"

"Then I'm gonna stab you in the eye myself. Now stay still and open your eyes wider than that."

Ruby tried her best to comply as Yang grabbed her face with both hands to hold it still. The mechanical grip that held her face in place was almost too strong to escape from, and it was kinda uncomfortable if she was honest. But she stayed as still as humanly possible as Yang slowly and methodically traced the inside lip of her eyelid. After a few agonizing minutes, the black line was finished on just the one side. This was gonna _suuuck,_ she figured.

"Look over my other shoulder."

Ruby complied as Yang adjusted herself and her grip. Her human fingers were doing all the hard, delicate work on her face and her mechanical ones had been relegated to the task of keeping her face from wiggling around. Ruby guessed that even Yang didn't trust the false prosthesis enough to let it loose on her face with pointy things. Another few agonizing moments passed before each of her eyes matched. Yang gave her face one more once-over before capping the pencil and tossing it back into the box. Another pencil was grabbed, but this one had a felt-marker like tip on it. Ruby tried to flinch.

"What's that."

Yang rolled her eyes.

"Eyeliner. Sit _still,_ you little weasel."

"I thought the other thing was eyeliner!"

"There's more than one kind, honey."

Ruby frowned. "There is?!"

"Mhmm."

Yang's grip was too tight. The marker came to her face.

"Close yer eyes."

Well, at least she didn't have to watch this time. Ruby shut her eyes. This turned out to be just as unfortunate for her as having them open, as Yang immediately jammed the marker into her eyelid like it owed her money. Ruby _tried_ to 'ack' her way out of this, but the mighty mechanical arm had other ideas, so she stayed put. Both eyes got the treatment the same as Yang drew what felt like an entire roadway worth of black onto her eyelid.

After a moment, it stopped.

"Damn, that's the first time I've done that and not had to make any adjustments!"

Ruby tentatively opened her eyes.

"Excuse me what?"

Yang shrugged and grabbed a little circular tin from the makeup box.

"Normally I have to fix at least _one_ of my eyes when I do that. But on you I've got it like ninety-nine percent done first try! This is a rare occurrence! Hold still."

Yang pulled her phone of the counter and flipped it open to the camera, snapping a quick couple of pictures before Ruby could say anything.

"Hey!"

"I want to capture this moment in case either of us ruins it before I'm done."

"...oh. Why do you need to capture it?"

"Gonna post it on my blog and show off my beautiful baby sister!"

Ruby cocked her head.

"You have a makeup blog?"

"Nah, it's just my regular blog. I sometimes post makeup stuff if I think it's particularly good. Once a month, if that really. It's mostly just memes."

"Maybe I want to follow your blog, what's it called?"

Yang laughed as she opened the tin of powder. She dipped one of her fingers in and collected some of the pinkish powder before drawing two lines on Ruby's cheeks.

"Ruby, I love you, but fat chance. Not even if you do the doe-eyes to me, stop it."

Ruby dropped the look.

"What are you doing to my face?"

Yang added more beige powder.

"Concealer."

"Why?"

Yang started to rub in the powder around her nose.

"Because you're a young girl, and while you might _think_ you're all mature and adult because you live by yourself in your own house and all that, you can't escape being a human being, you know."

"You sayin' I'm ugly, is that it?"

Yang laughed again, using a little white pad to smooth out the lines she had drawn.

"No, I'm sayin' you have the same blemishes on your face that I did two years ago. I'm just gonna hide'em away so your face is uniform."

"But why would I want to hide my face away? Isn't that a bit shallow?"

"Ruby, we're not going to have an existential conversation while I'm making you pretty, you're gonna sit still and let me draw on your face, okay?"

"Are you saying that I need to wear makeup to be pretty?"

"That's not what I- you're intent on making this hard for me, aren't you?"

"I'm your little sister, it's my job, isn't it?"

If she was upset, Yang made light work of it. It felt like she was trying to paint a Picasso on her face with the amount of paint she was using.

"Yeah, well... okay, pucker."

Ruby did as she was told. With a flick of her wrist, Yang procured a small black tube out of the makeup case and split it in two, revealing it to be another small paintbrush-like implement. With a much softer touch than Ruby thought possible, she brushed the head against her lips, leaving a wet feeling on them like they had been coated with candy. Ruby frowned.

"Is this lipstick?"

"Lip stain, Ru. Stop squirming and stop talking."

"Why do I need this? I'm spending the day in a junkyard with dad, not spending a night on the town with you and the girls."

"Because I'm goin' for a look here, quit your whinin'."

Another small cylinder was produced from the ever-impressive box of tricks. This one had a little brush with pointy little bristles on it. This one Ruby _did_ recognize as mascara, the same bottle she had back at Beacon that had somehow ended up in Yang's kit. With a few short strokes, her eyelashes gained what felt like about six extra ounces of mass each before the little black bottle was put away just as quickly.

Yang reached over to the counter and grabbed the hair dryer, turning it on and blasting her face with hot air on full, her eyes watering from the indoor wind. After a few moments of getting blasted, Yang shut the dryer off and put it back on the counter. Ruby coughed.

"Are you quite finished?"

"Almost, one more step."

"I hope so, this is getting out of hand."

"You about to make a one-armed joke?"

Ruby looked away, acting as innocent as she could. "Uh, no, what are you talking about, I wouldn't do that. Noo..."

Yang snorted, fixing Ruby's hair with her fingers. With a flick of her wrist, the little compartment on her forearm popped open, and she pulled out a purple cloth that Ruby instantly recognized as the one she used to wear around her her knee as a sign of rebellion to Beacon's overly strict uniform practices. She thought she remembered a time when they were kids when Yang used it to tie her hair back when they were playing out in the yard.

"Kay, lean your head back."

Ruby complied, and Yang slung the little cloth back under her neck, pulling her hair up into a tight bun and knotting the cloth at the top of her head. She sat back on the stool to examine her handiwork, reaching forward to adjust the little curl of bangs that popped from the front of her head. Yang smiled, satisfied, and reached over to grab a hand mirror, holding it up so Ruby could see herself.

"What'cha think?"

"Rosie the Riveter?"

Yang nodded with enthusiasm.

"Yeah, I knew you were gonna be in that awful set of coveralls, so I thought I'd run with that aesthetic, and here we are! Ruby the Riveter!"

"I've never once held a rivet gun in my life, you know that, right?"

"Neither did that model, but here we are. Besides, you have a deeper mechanical knowledge than any of those wartime Rosies anyway, I bet."

"I guess so."

Yang grinned.

"Now, you see how long this took for me to do?"

"Uh, yeah?"

"Like five minutes, max. That's all it takes to look like this, a little bit of eyes, little bit of lips, little bit of cheeks. And you can look this gorgeous every morning!"

Ruby gave her a half smile.

"I guess you're right. I'm still not super big on makeup, though."

"And that's fine, honey. You do you however you want. _But_ if ever you _want_ to wear makeup, this is how easy it is to do."

Yang stood from the stool, kicking it aside and pulling Ruby up by the cuffs on her bathrobe.

"Kay, now go get dressed, I need your help with something."

"Uh, sure, anything."

They separated, and Ruby retreated into her bedroom, shutting the door. Back in comfortable darkness again, she let out a deep sigh. The bathrobe dropped to the ground in the middle of the carpet. She stretched, trying to get the remaining sleep out of her arms and back. She yawned, catching sight of herself in the mirror against the far wall. From afar, the Rosie look was certainly more like a pin-up at the moment. Ruby flushed red.

She spun around, yanking open her top dresser drawer and grabbed a _brand-new_ utility bra she'd been gifted out and slinging it on backwards, fumbling around with the clasp before spinning it around on her body and pulling the straps up and over her shoulders. She grabbed a T-shirt from the bottom drawer and pulled it on. She turned back to the mirror, relieved to see that the Hendrix shirt and pyjama pants were more her style.

"Ahh, much better."

Her coveralls were still hanging up in her closet where she'd abandoned them the other day, and the hanger bounced itself onto the floor when she went to remove the navy blue one-piece from it. Stepping in, she pulled it up herself and over her shoulders, fiddling with the buttons along the front and popping the collar so it sat correctly against her neck. Perfect.

 _Go help your sister._

"Where were you an hour ago when I was waking up?"

 _Go help your sister._

"Oh what, not gonna taunt me today?"

The voice went quiet. Ruby waited, but nothing happened. She shrugged, leaving her room. Perhaps the bad voice was having a lazy day. Everyone deserves one once in a while. She stretched her arms above her head one last time, cracking out the kink in her neck before departing her bedroom for the second time.

Yang was waiting for her in the kitchen. She had a camera slung around her neck on a strap.

"So what did you need my help with?"

Yang held up the camera, spinning the focal ring so it clicked into place. Ruby flinched.

"Do the thing!"

"What thing?"

"Roll yer sleeve up and flex."

"Oh, right, that thing."

Ruby did as she was instructed, putting on a serious look. The camera shutter clicked a few times. Yang held the camera sideways, the shutter clicking some more. She stopped, holding the camera screen-up and looking through the little album she'd made. A big smile came across her face.

"These are perfect."

"Perfect for what?"

"My blog."

Ruby rolled her eyes. "Whatever you say, weirdo. Now, you said you needed my help with something, what was it? I gotta go soon, so it better be quick."

"Yeah, yeah, no, of course." she stumbled through, putting the camera down and rummaging through her pockets. "Here."

"Wha-" she caught the keys with her stomach. "The keys to the rig?"

"Yeah, I gotta make a delivery today, you're gonna help me hook up."

Ruby paused.

"...Okay, so I'll give you these back then, so you can drive it, because I surely can't."

"What, you have your CDL, you go ahead."

"Yang, I can't drive that truck, it's too big."

Yang shot her some finger guns. "That's merely an opinion, kiddo. I believe in you. I'll meet you around by the barn."

Before she had a chance to interject, Yang bounded out of the back door, dashing off across the yard. Ruby watched her go, confused. She looked down at the heavy key, slung around the little leather pouch bearing the copper _Maxim_ badge. She sighed, thumbing the key and sliding it into the front pocket of her coveralls. She turned, popping the fridge open and grabbing herself a little juicebox from the inside of the door.

She fumbled with the tiny plastic straw as she hobbled through the house to the side door. Just before she pushed through it, a voice called out from the kitchen again.

" _Ru?"_

"In here, dad."

His head poked around the corner.

"Oh, don't you look pretty!"

Ruby flushed, smiling, a little embarrassed. "Aw, thanks, dad."

"So you ready to go, kiddo?"

"Inna minute, Yang needs my help apparently. Gotta go hook up the truck."

"Kay, I'll meet you 'round by the silo with the flatbed. Seriously, though. You look great!"

"Gosh, stop!"

He laughed as he retreated back into the kitchen. Ruby huffed but found herself grinning ear to ear as she pushed out of the house and into the yard. The cool morning air was very refreshing, even on the minimally exposed skin on her neck and face. It was probably no more than about fifteen degrees outside, but the moisture in the air made it even crisper. The grass was wet under her boots, and the morning dew had started to soak the bottom cuffs of her coveralls. Ruby found herself almost _skipping_ across the side yard to the storage shed built just over the fence.

With a toss of her legs, she hopped over the low log fence and into a little bit of shrubbery, kicking it aside as she approached the decrepit garage that was hid out of sight. The old wood was still peeled and cracked, and it still had that old pine board smell that filled her nose as she approached. She stopped just at the door, resting her hands on it and taking a deep breath of the old wood.

" _Ahhh..._ excellent..."

She had spent some time last summer re-doing the inside of the crummy shed, rebuilding the seventy-year-old shelves with new lumber. It hadn't needed it, but she'd built herself a ladder out of the spare planks left over from the shelves so she could access the attic above the garage. There wasn't anything interesting up there, just a chair and old dresser from the attic in the main house, but Ruby thought it was a nice place to get away and hide. It was quiet, and it smelled nice. She smiled.

"Hup-"

With some effort, she yanked the large double doors open. The story went that they'd been built extra tall so that an antique bull-drawn covered wagon could be stored inside and protected. Now, her dad used the extra-tall garage to store the big rig they used to haul grain to the supply depot at the end of season, as this garage was the only one with a tall enough door for the big truck's tall exhaust stack.

"Hello, gorgeous." she said to the massive grille that presented itself to her. The old truck was still covered from the hood-up with the old canvas army tarp she'd found three summers ago lying in the field. "You look lovely this morning."

She caught sight of herself in the tall chrome grille. She grinned.

"You too, kiddo."

She gave reflection a fist-bump, before sauntering around to the driver's side of the big truck and pulling the big tarp down off the cab and tossing it to the side. With a solid _thunk_ of vintage iron, she pulled the driver's door open and ascended the ladder-like side of the fuel tank, climbing into the cab. She slid herself into the cramped seat behind the almost-horizontal two foot wide steering wheel.

She grabbed the key out of her pocket and slid it into the little slot on the left of the wheel.

"Alright, let's see if you're as charismatic as Old Red."

She turned the key. The old motor started to chug. And it chugged, and it chugged, and it slowly started to catch. Then, like a banshee out of hell itself, the big two-stroke diesel lit off with a cacophonous roar. She giggled. It was a good noise. She waited patiently for the little air pressure gauge on the dash to spin up before grabbing the long, worn-out gear stick, flipping into low-range and forcing it into what she assumed was a gear. With a blip of the throttle, she let up on the ludicrously heavy clutch.

Only to stall.

"Shit. Right."

She leaned in and smacked the parking brake with her fist. A loud hiss of air blew a mountain of dirt out from under the cab. She tried again, the big supercharger whining as the motor lit off again. In no time at all, she was moving forward.

Down the laneway and around the edge of the fence, Ruby saw that Yang had already got the tarps off the two grain trailers that sat patiently next to the barn. She accelerated the big truck, floating the transmission into the next gear to hopefully quiet down the loud and ancient motor. Two-strokes were notorious for being able to wake the dead, mind you, so it wasn't really working. Trundling around the corner and through the main gate, she fired the big truck down the laneway past the house, the long hood obscuring the track before her.

Yang waved as she approached, and she slowed the big truck on it's equally big brakes. It was around this moment that she remembered that the truck did not have power steering. She cranked the wheel _four and a half times_ to the right, spinning the truck around so the fifth wheel faced her sister. Once stopped, she had to two-hand the wheel back five full turns and grind the long gearshift into reverse. Or, first-reverse actually.

Yang waved her backwards, and she let the truck creepy-crawl backwards towards the trailer. Unfortunately for her, she'd forgot that the truck only had a driver's side mirror since they'd bought the old girl at a scrappage yard. Even seven years later she _still_ couldn't believe someone was just going to crush this fifty-year-old piece of art. Sure, she was rough but _boy_ could she run.

Yang kept waving, and Ruby tried her best to not have the truck lurch backwards into either the trailers or her sister, who was currently _under_ the leading trailer's kingpin, trying to direct her so the truck would hook up properly. She could tell this was horribly dangerous what she was doing, reversing _at_ Yang like this, but her sister always had a plan for if things got a little heavy. And the Transporter 9000 was ten tonnes of heavy. After a second or two more, Ruby felt the hitch hit the trailer and Yang's arm shot out from behind her back tires. She grabbed the brake, stopping hard and almost hitting her head on the back of the cab. She leaned forward and twisted the key off, kicking open the door and jumping down into the dust.

"Y'all right back there?"

Yang crawled out from under the truck.

"Yeah, we're good. See, I told you you could drive it! All you needed was a little faith in yourself."

"I did stall it, though."

"Left the parking brake on?"

"Yeah."

She laughed, reaching it to the hitch to set the latch. "I do that once a year like clockwork too, don't even worry. I'm sure if we took the time, we could make the warning light on the dash come on to remind us."

"You mean if _I_ took the time. Because I'm sure as hell that you won't do that because I don't think you can solder very well, and I don't think you know electronics as well as you think you do."

"Hey, I built my own gauntlets, didn't I?"

It was Ruby's turn to laugh.

"Those are spring-action, there's no electronics in them."

"You don't know that."

Ruby put on her incredulous look. "I routinely fixed them for you!"

"I'm just messin' with your head, kiddo, re- _laaax!"_

She rolled her eyes with a grin. What a pain her sister was sometimes. The sound of an approaching vehicle grabbed her attention. They turned to see the big white ramp truck roll into view from around the other side of the barn, their dad behind the wheel.

"Yeah, well... I gotta run, so, have fun with your delivery."

Yang clapped her on the shoulder.

"And you go have fun tearing old cars apart."

Ruby smiled, giving her sister a kinda lame side-hug before skipping away towards the ramp truck, calling her goodbye back over her shoulder. She approached the old white truck and skidded to a stop, pulling the old door open with a loud creak of the hinges. The cool, air-conditioned air that greeted her was quite lovely, actually, as she slid herself onto the truck's wide bench seat. It might have been cool outside, but the cool in the truck's cab was less moist and bone-chilling. Tai glanced over at her, his shades reflecting pretty much everything.

"You ready to go, sweetie?"

Ruby grabbed her sunglasses out of her left breast pocket, pepped them open and slid them on her face.

"Let's roll."

So they did.

/.../

"Hey Ruby?"

Ruby tried to stay balanced on one leg on top of the car, struggling to hold the discarded, crumpled driveshaft she'd found lying on the ground out in front of her with one hand. It was harder than it looked, but not overly difficult for her.

"Yeah, dad?"

He leaned against the old dusty police cruiser, resting his head on his arms on the roof.

"What did you want to be when you grew up when you were little?"

She swung the driveshaft over her head, spinning around like it was a thirty-pound aluminum bo staff.

"A Huntress, I think that's common knowledge."

Taiyang was quiet for a moment. Ruby hopped onto her other foot, keeping her balance on the old car roof.

"Why?"

The driveshaft slipped out of her fingers as she tried to spin it again, bouncing off the roof of the car and landing in the dirt. Ruby stared down at it.

"I don't know."

"You don't?"

She slowly sat down and crossed her legs, staring off across the rows of discarded cop cars.

"No, I thought I did at one point. Something about how mom was a Huntress and I wanted to be everything she was."

"Yeah, your mother was the best." he reminisced.

Ruby sat for a moment and traced a familiar figure into the dirt on top of the car. The little figure wore a cape much like hers, brandishing a weapon kept hidden under the mysterious white cape.

"But now I'm not so sure anymore. I mean, I was what, like three when mom died?"

"Yes, that's correct."

"I don't know why I never made the connection between being a huntress and being in danger. Like, it's _not_ a fun job, dad."

Ruby placed one hand on either side of her little drawing and pushed her weight down on the roof of the car. She shifted, lifting her bum up and balancing on her hands. Her legs uncrossed mid-air, stretching out over the roof in a kind of slow, acrobatic splits. But only so far as the coveralls were a little constricting.

"Oh believe me, honey, I know it's not a fun job. I was a huntsman for five good, solid years after you were born."

Ruby brought her legs together up in the air, before slowly stretching her right one down so the sole of her boot just _barely_ made contact with her bun. Her left leg, thanks to the coveralls, was forced to follow the other one down. It made for an awkward balance, but she managed to stay upright.

"Did you ever finish at Beacon?"

"I didn't need to, and I didn't really want to. After Yang was born, her mother and I left school and left Qrow and Summer behind to finish up. We actually all moved into a little apartment in Vale for a while."

"I remember the one."

"Yeah, dingy little place. Never really liked it. But anyway, that's where we lived, with Raven 'acting' as my 'wife' for that time. I mean, we were only nineteen at the time, Ruby. Waaaay too young to be married."

Ruby twisted her hips and switched legs, bringing her left boot down to touch her head and lifting the right one out of the way.

"I thought you could get married at seventeen?"

He shrugged, reaching over and spinning the little light fixture on top of the police light bar.

"You can, it's still too young in my opinion. But the landlord had explicitly stated that the building wasn't supposed to be for highschool students, so we had to pretend."

"Is that why Raven left?"

"No, she left because she's a toxic human being with very little moral fibre. _Your_ mom spent more time being _Yang's_ mom than Raven did _before_ she left. She wasn't exactly mother material."

Ruby chuckled dryly, a little disappointed.

"Oh."

"As much as it hurts me to say, Yang was an accident. Because Raven had a very lax attitude toward contraception and a very aggressive attitude towards me. I hope that's not too gross of a description."

"No, that's pretty gross."

"Let's just say I wasn't given a choice in the matter. Raven was gonna take what she wanted from me, and then leave."

Ruby shifted all her weight over to her left hand, steadying herself, before lifting her right hand slowly off the car's roof and holding it out straight beside her. She wobbled momentarily, before finding her balance and holding steady.

"That seems overly harsh, dad."

"Raven _was_ overly harsh. Please don't fall, honey, you're making me very nervous."

"I got it, don't worry."

"You're a lot more flexible than you make yourself out to be, you know. I'm actually quite impressed."

"Not everything is punching and shooting, dad."

"Same thing your mother told me once, actually. Without saying ' _dad'_ at the end, of course."

 _Your dad's gross._

Ruby winced back a laugh.

"Right, of course."

"You know, you're really good at avoiding my question, Ruby."

She brought her legs back around and down, so her soles touched the roof of the car. She let the weight off her hands and stood up, straightening her back. She let out a groan as her spine slipped back into the correct place.

"Yeah, I know."

With a quick hop, she tucked forward off the edge of the roof, flipping _over_ Taiyang with a half-twist and landing as gracefully as one does wearing heavy steel toe boots and constricting coveralls.

"Noice."

"Thanks. What was your question?"

"When you were little, what did you want to be when you grew up?"

"As far as I can remember, a Huntress. I thought I said that."

He smiled, leaning his back against the car and giving her a smug look.

"That's not what I remember, honey."

She stuck her hands in her pockets and kicked up some dirt.

"Oh yeah?"

"Yeah, I remember differently. I remember asking you where about three or four what you wanted to be and you used to _sing_ to me that you wanted to be a musician. You were so _excited_ about music and dancing and guitars and stuff like that and you were only _three!"_

"I knew a complex three-syllable word like _musician_ when I was three?"

"You most certainly did! Your mom was really big on you learning to talk, so she made sure you were the smartest, most conversational little baby I'd ever and will ever have seen. But you were so _adamant._ And it was adorable."

Ruby smirked. "A musician, huh?"

"Yeah, I brought you to a music store once when you were maybe six so I could by new strings for that old guitar in the den, and I promise you, we were there for like, two hours just strolling around 'cause you wanted to look at each and every guitar in the damn store. And I let you, because I could see that you absolutely _loved_ it. Your uncle was a little upset that we took two hours to buy strings and lunch meats."

"Heh, sorry..."

"No, no, don't apologize!" He said, shaking his head. "It was probably the best day ever for me, and I will remember that moment until the day I die. But it was in that moment, while I had you up in my arms looking at a particularly beautiful Strat, and you said to me ' _daddy I want one of these when I grow up'_ with that cute little lisp you used to have, I knew."

Ruby stopped, looking over at him. He had this nostalgic look on his face that was halfway between joy and sombre remembrance.

"You knew?"

"I knew that you'd never let anything get in your way of getting what you want. That you'd be determined, passionate, resolute... earnest. That one day, when the thing you wanted most was dangled just out of reach... you'd rise to the occasion and claim it, no matter the cost."

She chuckled.

"Sounds pretty corny, dad."

"Oh, you might think so, but I'm serious." he pointed a finger in her direction. "I've seen you use that look I think _maybe_ three times after that guitar. First was probably when we gave you your first backpack for your first day of kindergarten. You looked at that little red with this crazy fire in your eyes and my goodness did you not wanna give that up."

Ruby smiled down at her feet as they started along the procession of cars.

"I think I still have that bag."

"You do, it's in the closet back home. I couldn't bring myself to get rid of it."

"You're very nostalgic."

He shrugged. "What can I say, you're my little girl, now and always, honey. I'm gonna be your dad forever, so forgive me for doing dad things around you."

They chuckled together.

"You're forgiven."

"Thank you, Ruby, that's very sweet. You know, that look I was talking about, the next time I saw it was on your fifteenth birthday during your first year at Beacon when I gave you the keys to your mom's truck."

Ruby stopped walking, her attention drawn elsewhere.

"Yeah?"

"Yeah, you thought it was the greatest gift in the world. Even if you couldn't bring it to school with you, you cherished it. I think you even slept in it over the winter break."

"That sounds like me, yeah. What was the third thing I looked at like that?"

"Wasn't a thing, honey. It was a person."

She glanced back over. He too had his hands in his pockets, and he had his back pressed up against the back of a flipped-over van.

"Who?"

He smiled.

"Your friend Weiss."

Ruby froze in place. He didn't _seem_ to be lying. His face held nothing but sincerity, actually. She tried to lay into him with a snappy retort, but her voice had scrunched itself up into her throat and was refusing to come out.

"...what?"

He nodded, cheerfully. How he could even _be_ cheerful was a damn surprise.

"Yeah, I remember, it must have been right after third year, you brought all your friends home to the farm to show off and hang out. I remember you brought that Ren fellow, his ginger girlfriend..."

"...Nora..."

"...Your friend Pyrrha, and of course Blake and Weiss."

Ruby crossed her arms and leaned up against the nearest car, trying not to make eye contact. She slouched, sliding down the metal fender and coming to a stop with her butt on the ground.

"So?"

"So I remember the way you looked at Weiss. You would always stare just a _little_ longer than necessary, laughed extra loud at her jokes, funny or not. You were literally hanging off the poor girl, and I could see how much she meant to you. You had this look, this... _sparkle_ in your eyes every time she was within a certain distance from you."

She pressed her face into her arms. This was too much.

"Here's the thing, though." He slid himself over and sat down next to her in the dirt. "She looked at you the very same way. With this brightness in her face, this sort of raw, genuine happiness every time you looked her way. She kept rattling on about how annoying and childish you were being, but she never once said it maliciously."

"Dad, we're always like that, though. It's not abnormal."

"See, it _was,_ though. You two look at each other the same way your mother and I used to. More so, even. You two are meant to be together."

Ruby sniffled.

"So when I heard that you ran away from her on the night Pyrrha died, I almost didn't believe it. I thought Yang was lying to me like some kind of sick, cruel joke. I thought ' _why didn't she run into her arms and take comfort in the arms of someone who she is mutually head-over-goddamn-heels for?'_ But then you showed up at our door and locked yourself in your room."

"I made a mistake."

"And I understand that, honey. You need some time away, and that's fine. But I want you to remember how you feel about this girl, and I want you to remember how _she_ feels about _you."_

"I..."

"How _do_ you feel about her, Ruby?"

"...I love her."

"Why?"

Ruby pulled her legs up against her chest.

"She makes me feel safe. She helps me forget. About the bad stuff."

An arm fell around her shoulders.

"Then that's all the reason you need, kiddo. You love her because she helps you love you, right?"

"Yeah, I guess."

"Then you owe it to her to heal and run right on back to her."

She sniffled again.

"I guess so."

"Well, I _know_ so. And step one in healing is remembering how to love yourself _without_ her."

"I've been _trying!"_

"And you're doing very well, I've noticed. Your night terrors have gone down in the last little while, eh?"

She blinked.

"...Yeah, how did you know?"

"I am still your father, and you still worry me, so I _do_ check up on you at night. And you've been pretty good the last little bit, there. I know your sister's been helping a lot."

Ruby gave a dry laugh.

"Yeah, she's doing alright, I guess."

"You guess?"

"No, I know."

He smiled. "That's more like it."

He hugged her close.

 _Why don't you tell your dad? You know... about him?_

She couldn't. She never would be able to. She knew that whatever bad, illegal, irrational thing that _Yang_ might do when she told her, her dad would do exponentially worse. Yang might be satisfied tearing him in half and only hurting him, but her dad was more likely to slaughter _the entire planet_ should he need to. The idea made her feel sick. She'd tell Yang when Ren arrived, and that was it. Her dad didn't need to know.

 _Okay, no, that's fair. I keep forgetting that 'the entire world' includes Weiss, and that would be unfortunate if she caught your dad's ire._

She half-smirked. "No kidding."

"What was that, sweetie?"

She sniffled. "N-nothing, it's fine. I'm sorry."

 _Yeah, I take back what I said. Yang only. Then we'll feel better, eh?_

She nodded to herself.

"Don't worry about it, kiddo. We all do things we're not proud of, but it's how we learn. Besides, she'll forgive you, I promise. She's probably thinking of things to do to help you _right now._ She might be a little mean, but she loves you more than anyone loves anyone."

"Heh. Really?"

 _Really._

"Really. Everything will turn out alright."

She leaned her head against his shoulder.

"Thanks, dad."

His face pushed against the top of her hair.

"Like I said before, anything for you. I love you, Ruby."

"Love you too, dad."

Her hair was, once again, given an affectionate fluffing.

"C'mon. We got stuff to find. As much as I like moping, and believe me, I'm the king of moping, we have places to be."

"Okay."

She sniffed back the rest of her bad feelings, which washed away quicker than she was anticipating it to. Maybe it had something to do with just how right he was, and how much Weiss actually _did_ care about her. The image alone of the woman sitting alone at her desk, _planning_ on how to get back to her had brightened her up almost completely out of her momentary funk. She took her dad's hand and he helped her up off the ground. Life felt alright for a moment. Even if everything was wrong, it felt right.

"So have you seen anything in this yard worth salvaging?"

Ruby looked around.

"Not really. A lot of these are too far gone or already missing engines or vital parts we need. You?"

"I saw a Stallion highway interceptor by the gate, but it looked a little too, uh, destroyed."

"Yeah, too bad, that five-oh would have been great for the truck. Sucks we gotta use one of these old hunks."

She knocked her fist on the hood of the car they'd been sitting against. She frowned as she looked down at it.

"Hello, what do we have here."

"What is it?"

She took a step back from the tired old police car. It had all of its panels still on it, most of them dented, and the front bumper guard was a little pushed in, but the car seemed otherwise alright. The back passenger window was smashed, she noticed.

"This one seems fine."

"But does it still have an engine?"

Ruby reached her fingers under the edge of the hood, fiddling around for the latch.

"Survey says..." she lifted. "Yes! Wow, it's _clean._ "

The motor sat silently in place, all the air hoses still attached and wiring still in place. Not even a single spark plug was missing. Most of the other cars in the lot had been cannibalized for their parts for police cars still in service, but this lonely, dusty old girl seemed to have been overlooked.

"I wonder if it still runs."

Ruby dashed him a look and pulled a wrench out of her overalls. She put one end to the negative terminal of the battery. The moment the other side of the wrench touched the positive terminal, a large, loud spark ignited between them, shocking the hell out of her and making her drop the wrench.

"Shit. Still has power, I wonder if anything else works. Hope the keys are in it."

She pushed the hood as far up as it would go, resting it against the top of the windshield.

"Please be careful."

She took a second to pull the airbox open, banging out the old filter of all the sand and silt that had collected in it. The sensors all seemed fine as well. Ruby's heart skipped optimistically.

"How many miles on it?"

Taiyang pulled the creaky old door open and leaned inside.

"Fort- oh jeez, only forty-nine thousand. This thing's like new."

Ruby came around the side of the car and stared in as well. The interior was relatively clean, the upholstery was all still in one piece, and the plastics were all faded but crack-free.

"Hey, yeah it is."

She slid herself into the driver's seat. It was a weird feeling to be in a police car. It _was_ still just a car, but it was the underlying principle.

"Are there keys?"

Ruby dug around on the column. The key slot was empty. She opened the console. Empty. The glovebox. _Empty._ She even checked up under the sun visor, the same place Yang kept the keys to the Crusader. Nothing.

"Nope. Gonna have to hot-wire it."

She leaned down and popped the bottom of the steering column off. The mess of wires fell down into her hands, none of them labelled. She pulled a little flathead screwdriver out of her coveralls and undid the screws on the back of the ignition cylinder.

"Going to hot-wire a police car? Wow, that's a whole lot of illegal, honey."

She took three of the wires, coloured in red, blue and yellow and twisted them together.

"Oh, I know. But hey, look at it this way. If I break the law, I'm _already_ in the cop car. I can just drive myself to jail."

She touched the bundle to a black wire that was exposed. As soon as she did, all the lights on the dashboard came on.

"Hey, that's neat!"

"I know, watch this!"

She took a thicker black wire and touched it to a thicker white one. The starter motor spun and grabbed for a second.

"Hey!"

"That was cool! Do it again!"

Ruby laughed and held the two wires together again. The starter spun, turning the motor over and over for a few seconds. It lit off. Ruby cheered.

"It's working!"

She pushed the accelerator down. The motor spun easily up, revving loudly. There was clearly a few holes in the exhaust, making the usually quiet police engine sound like a powerful hot rod. It was _awesome._

"Any lights on?"

She checked the dash.

"Just the airbag light. Everything else is a-okay. Hey, this thing has a quarter-tank."

"See if it moves."

Ruby grabbed the gear lever up behind the column and pulled it down into reverse. The vehicle jerked as the transmission engaged. She hit the gas. Both back tires immediately filled the air around the car with a thick cloud of silt.

"Gonna go with 'yes', dad."

"You stuck?"

"Not for much longer. Stand back."

He did. She pulled the door closed and settled in. For safety, she pulled the seatbelt over herself and latched it. With a drop of her fist, the gear lever fell into drive.

"Okay, show me your stuff, car."

 _What about me? Can I show you_ my _stuff?_

" _No."_

 _But I wanna..._

" _You be quiet. I can live without you."_

 _I don't think s-_

She booted the gas pedal. The big engine spun up, silencing the voice in her head and shunting the heavy car forward in the dirt. She bounced the motor off the rev-limiter a few times, fighting for traction in the loose surface. She floated her foot on the brake pedal to modulate the wheel speed, and the car started to slide forward in the dirt.

 _Oh hey, it's coming free._

And then it did. And it came free all at once, shooting forward. Ruby barely had time to react as the car careened forward with gusto, all two-hundred-eighty horsepower punting the big sedan into the side of another discarded police car. She sat for a moment, in awe.

 _Damn. Impressive._

She shook her head.

"Hey, I thought I said I could live without you."

 _Sorry, I didn't mean to sound antagonistic. Look, Lie will be around your house later, and you can get some help properly. I was trying to lighten you up._

"Oh. Sorry."

 _Don't worry about it. Go get yer dad. He might want to go for a ride._

She popped the car back up into reverse, and slowly backed up to her dad, straightening the car up in the 'road' they were all parked along. She reached across the middle of the car and pushed the passenger side door open.

"I think I like this one!"

He slid into the passenger seat.

"Great! Let's go buy it, then!"

"Buckle up for safety!"

He did as he was told. Ruby gave the gas pedal another hard thrashing, and the car continued backwards at high speed. With a quick left-right swing of the wheel, the car pivoted around on the loose dirt, flicking the nose around the other direction. She jammed the lever down into drive and shot forward.

"Hold on!"

She spun around the corner, drifting the big car around the corner in a cloud of silt and noise. It was so _easy_ to get the cruiser to slide sideways, and now she wondered why she'd never bought one anyways. Every damn corner in the yard became her bitch in that moment.

And in that moment, she was free.

And it was all good.

/.../

They pulled off the highway, the old ramp truck shuddering and swaying under the weight of the big car that was strapped on the back. Three hundred lien had bought them a brand new engine for the shitty old truck, and it had come with an entire police car, for free! Ruby had her feet up on the dash, her borrowed hat down over her eyes.

"So do you _still_ want to be a musician?"

Ruby shrugged, slouching down further.

"Maybe. I'm fine with my job at the radio station. I have a few major problems with being a musician, though."

"Oh yeah?"

"Yeah, m'not very good at guitar, for one thing."

"It's called practice."

Ruby laughed.

"I tried that, and I learned to play a few songs a while ago. But now I can't really play anymore."

"Why not?"

Ruby stayed silent. She didn't have the heart to tell him that the guitar he'd given her, a vintage Telecaster, had stopped working a while ago so she couldn't play it anymore.

"I dunno. Maybe music production is more my style. Or maybe I need a new guitar."

"I'll buy you one for your birthday, if you want?"

She lifted the brim of her hat off her eyes and looked over.

"You would?"

"Did you have one in mind?"

"Uh, well, there's this red one at this guitar shop back in Atlas, but it was a little too much for my budget."

"How much is too much?"

Ten grand.

"Sixty-five."

" _Yikes,_ yeah, not happening. Try more like a nice Hunter Music one. We'll go shopping later in the week, if you want."

"That's fair."

"You shouldn't give up your dream just because you can't play guitar. It's not a precursor to being a good musician, hun."

"Here's the thing, though. I'm a very good DJ and I do manage the station when Mister Bulsara's out of office. Maybe I should become a record producer."

"That's certainly an idea. I'd assume you have a pretty good grasp of the industry, based on you doing all those interviews. My favourite of which is the one you did with Gord Downie."

"Heh, yeah, we recorded that at that little- you know along the main drag in Anfang there's that little cafe that's done up fifties-style with the chrome and the Art-Deco styling?"

"Yeah, _Maggie's_ or something, eh? I think we took you there last year for your birthday."

"I held the interview there over burgers and root beer floats."

"That's cool as hell."

"Everyone likes that interview. It's the most downloaded one from the store on our website."

"That's because it's really rock and roll."

Ruby shrugged.

"That was a completely unscripted interview. We were just talking and I happened to have my recorder out."

"Ruby, honey, I think you went on a date with Gord Downie."

She laughed, slapping her knee.

"Yeah, and it was awesome."

"I'm gonna download that episode when we get home."

"Please do. Are we there yet?"

The truck slowed, rocking like a cradle around the big corner just down the road from their house. It _looked_ like the cop car was gonna rock itself off the back of the truck, but Ruby's skill with a set of ratchet straps was keeping the beast tamed.

"Almost. Keep your shirt on."

"Eh, whatever. So you think I should become a producer?"

"Very much so. You've been to school for that, eh?"

"Yeah, but not for the same kind of stuff. I'd need to go back for business n' stuff."

"You know, if you want, I can fund that trip back to college."

"...you'd do that?"

He reached over and rubbed the top of her head.

"What did I say before about the moon?"

She cooed, feeling substantially better.

"Thanks, dad."

She received an affectionate stroke of her cheek, and she could feel her face flush. An opportunity to go back to school was certainly captivating. Going back to school would be nice, she thought, since it would open enough doors to get her out of that crummy bungalow and her dead-ish end job.

It was a chance to move on with her life.

A good chance.

 _You're taking that chance._

She smiled under her hat, hiding herself beneath the old fabric. She liked this opportunity. She never though she could afford to go back to school, since she could barely afford her house, her truck, her meagre, quaint little life in Atlas. She'd always wanted to, but never had. And now, given the opportunity...

"Hey, who's car is that?"

Ruby sat up as the truck slowed to pull into the driveway. A big, stylish looking silver sedan sat politely aligned behind the Crusader and the Syncro, just in the shade of the big oak tree at the end of the fence line. A brand-new Hunter RRS sedan, wearing a _Starlight Rentals_ badge on the trunk lid gave away it's origin. The airport, most likely.

 _Maybe it's Ren._

Ruby's heart skipped a little. He was earlier than expected. The big truck lumbered like a lethargic buffalo as it rounded the fence onto the gravel driveway, pulling passed the line of cars and around to the side of the house.

"I think someone's here for me."

"Oh? Who'd that be?"

"Dunno, let's go find out."

They got out of the truck. Yang was in the backyard, splayed out in a lawn chair, a drink in her hand.

"Hey guys!" she cheered, raising the bottle. "Ruby, you have a _visito-o-o-or!"_

"Thought so. Where is he?"

"How do you know it's a he?"

Ruby strolled over, having a seat on the little cement steps. She flicked the top of Yang's drink.

"Just a hunch."

"Well, tall, dark and gorgeous is in the living room, a-waiting your arrival."

Ruby stood. "Kay c'mon."

"What, why?"

"Just c'mon."

Yang stood, and allowed Ruby to drag her back into the house. True to her word, there was a mysterious, beautiful figure in the side room, sitting comfortably in the thick leather armchair that occupied the corner of the little room. Ruby pulled her sister into the room, and deposited them both onto the corduroy couch that sat across from him.

 _Muh goodness, he is pretty._

"Good afternoon, my friends."

"Hey, Ren."

A big smile crossed his face.

"Hello, Ruby."

"We're here, together. We can start this now."

"I can see that."

He clapped his hands together, rubbing them for good measure.

"Let's get started."


	35. Chapter 35: Dear Sister

Chapter 72

Having been let in to the massive security gate and into the compound, Weiss nervously followed the granite-smooth driveway leading around the outskirts to where the parking lot was. She wasn't scared of much, being the wealthiest person on the planet and the most influential, but this was a secure military facility guarded by like five thousand heavily armed soldiers all trained to eviscerate anything that wasn't also a heavily armed soldier at a moment's notice. If she made one mistake, curbed one wheel, set off even one measly car alarm, the whole place might come down on her like she was a rabid Beowolf.

Didn't help that she was trying to blend in in the most obvious and outlandish truck money could buy. The Blaze-Charger's three inch exhaust made every window in a mile radius vibrate and threaten to shatter, and had actually set off two car alarms when she'd left the coffee place earlier that morning, much to their respective owners' ire. She'd tried to apologize, but there was no reasoning with two very grumpy middle-aged Faunus who could only see her as a) a delinquent in a hot-rod, and b) a Schnee.

As she tentatively turned into the overly-tight parking lot filled with every manner of full-sized pickup truck and SUV, she tried her very hardest to not break her mirrors off on anyone's rear bumpers, which were all at mirror-knocking-off height. With the amount of testosterone-fuelled modifications going on in this lot, this was the first time the large VHI Blaze-Charger had ever felt _undersized._ It felt positively miniature, actually. Right down at the end of the aisle was a spot, which she ever so carefully squeezed the comparatively small truck into next to what was almost a carbon copy of the truck she was driving, save for the obvious _Sanus Motors_ badging adorning the tailgate.

She shut the immensely voluminous motor off, to be greeted by a slight chill as the heater stopped blowing as well and the cool outside air started to come in through the open smoker window on her door. She leaned forward and rotated it closed, not wanting her fresh, factory-smelling cloth interior to become soaked with the light amount of snow that was falling. She leaned back on the wide bench and sat for a moment, enjoying the silence. She wasn't quite sure what she was in store for today, but she had packed a full suitcase full of supplies should she need anything extraordinary.

"Right..."

She pushed the door open, and it swung free on it's hinges without so much as an indication of creaking. Whitley had done a damn good job with this old truck, bringing it back to as new as it felt. She stepped down onto the pavement. Well, fell mostly. The truck was quite tall.

"Ack!"

 _She_ , on the other hand, did not feel quite so new. As her feet hit the ground, her entire body realized all at once that it was still sore from the weight training and cardio she'd been doing for the last six days _straight._ Five years without any kind of personal fitness work had made her go soft. And now, after a week of hardcore workouts, she'd turned spongy. Pretty much everything hurt at this point. She had to support herself against the front of her truck, seeing as yesterday had been leg day.

"Why me?"

Stupid workout program. Winter had been kind enough to replace the joke workout that Nora had provided with a real one, that was apparently designed with 'full body annihilation' in mind. She paused, and let out a low groan and tried to not strain her face. Four hours of driving in the snow, coupled with her actual fear of winter driving had exacerbated her sore spots, and now she was paying dearly for it.

"The fuck she trying to do to me?"

She coughed and forced herself upright.

"I think I'd have preferred Nora's workout instead of this. At least I'd have something to show from that. Ugh."

She limped around to the back of the big red truck, her boots barely keeping the cold snow from seeping into her socks. The power-assisted spare tire carrier swung effortlessly out of the way with a whir of gears and electric motor noises, and the lift glass swung upwards and open with only one finger. She had to grab the edge of the tailgate and mount the rear bumper in order to reach in and grab her suitcase from the rear load floor, silently regretting both the height of the truck and the intensity of the previous day's workout as her legs burned from the effort.

"Fuck me sideways."

The truck she's been locked away in for five days with Ruby hadn't been this tall, right? Or was that just because of its old, original sagging springs? The power-assisted tire carrier certainly didn't work on that truck either. That old girl was certainly showing it's age, she thought as she pulled the handle up and out of her suitcase. With a painful hop, she shut the glass and swung the tire carrier back into position with two confirming clicks of the latches. She stepped back, taking a deep breath of much-needed air. She wasn't out of shape, she clarified to herself. Just in pain.

She started to make her way back though the parking lot towards the main building, taking a slow pass next to the rather unique-looking SUV she was parked next to. It was a heck of a lot older feeling than the pristine, factory-fresh truck she had arrived in, but not as beaten and battered as some of the army trucks that scattered the lot. Seeing the _Sanus_ badge on a large square SUV that was shaped very much like her own truck was a little odd. Almost like they'd been cast from the same mould, just with different stickers applied afterwards. Peculiar. Two-door sport utility trucks didn't exist anymore, and here were two relics of a forgotten kind, sitting right beside one another in the parking lot of a top-secret, secured military facility in the middle of the Atlesian countryside.

Speaking of...

" _Fack!"_

She'd run into the door, having been looking backwards over her shoulder at the two trucks. She suddenly panicked, thinking someone might have seen and assumed she was some kind of spy. A clumsy spy, but those were always the most convincing. Trick them into thinking they're human, just like everyone else. Well, comparatively human. She was suddenly panicked that one of these high-strung military officers might be a faunus, and therefore offended by being compared to a human. Could they read thoughts?

A quick glance around showed nobody in her immediate vicinity. She sighed, and let her shoulders droop. She remembered why she didn't like visiting her sister on base. Military police were scary as hell. Actually, _regular_ police were scary as hell. The strict rules of the Atlesian Motor Vehicle Authority may have meant that certain sections of the highways were without speed limits, but it also meant that every other law was enforced with an iron fist. Do even fifteen over, have one measly taillight out, be a _day_ behind renewing your registration, and you risked having your car impounded and faced a possible ten _thousand_ lien fine. At least with the military cops, you were guaranteed to be shot and killed.

She pushed into the facility, where the warmth of the air was a welcome change to her aching body. It wasn't as hot as the inside of the truck got, but it was nice enough to be comfortable. She shrugged her shoulders to reset the strap, having fallen almost off her shoulder and onto the hard linoleum floor. The inside of the facility felt like the inside of a hospital, and that made her feel no better, actually. Everything was sterile and drab. At least it was warm.

Remembering where her sister's office was was a chore. She had a good memory, almost photographic in fact, but the amount of left and right turns, inclined hallways and errant staircases made it feel like she had walked back to Anfang when she finally rounded the last corner and caught a glimpse of the golden plaque that sat framed next to the door. She grinned with a sharp inhale, happy to finally see _something_ that was recognizable. Her fast walk became almost a skip as she approached, ignoring the dull throbbing of her knees. And calves. And glutes. She skipped to a stopped in front of the most exciting plain white door she'd ever seen. She knocked.

"Winter?"

Silence. She frowned, and knocked again.

"Wi-i-inter!"

 _Still silence._

"What the heck?"

Perhaps she was asleep at her desk? That didn't sound like her sister, but maybe she had been weighed down with work to give her some time off today. She reached over to the panel next to the door, trying to remember the password. Having forgotten it, and not wanting to put in even one wrong password lest she be sent to worse-prison for infiltrating a military base, she pulled out her note book from inside her jacket and flipped through it. She'd been told the door password some time ago and had scribbled it down somewhere, hopefully in her notebook.

"Ah, here we go."

The page was covered in a bunch of random numbers and letters. Seeing as the door panel was numbers-only, only one of the passwords was correct. She smirked.

"Heh. Glad one of us still has a sense of humour."

She punched in the code. Six, nine, four, two, zero, six, nine. The light on the panel blinked green, and the latch clicked considerably louder than she was expecting. She reached over and pushed the door open, and stepped inside.

"Hello sist- oh, it's empty."

The lights were off, the curtains drawn. The absence of any noise from inside the room was now fully explained. There was no one here. She was relieved that her sister wasn't asleep in her office, or passed out on the floor or anything. All of a sudden, she remembered what she'd just done.

Broken into a secure military facility, and into the office of one of the country's most respected military officials.

"Shit!"

She panicked, as usual, and launched herself over and behind the desk, knocking a few of the loose papers in the black plastic 'out' box onto the floor with her. Along with it came an envelope, fluttering conveniently down into her lap. She picked it up, turning it over. Weirdly, it had her name on it in the overly-scripty characters her sister favoured when writing letterhead. Ignoring her panicked state, she slipped her nail under the flap and pulled it open, cutting the edge of the envelope down vertically to slide out what ever document might be inside.

Wait, wasn't this corporate espionage?

On the _MILITARY?!_

Somewhere in the last hour, she'd clearly pissed off some deity or something. Someone that was making sure every action she made could be misconstrued as a treasonous felony. She suddenly wondered if parking lot violations could be turned into war crimes.

The little documents inside the envelope turned out to be no more than a single piece of paper folded in three, with the following written on it in the same felt tip pen she reserved for business cards and her birthday. An occasion?

 _My dear Weiss,_

 _Come down to the campus gymnasium._

 _I am waiting with tea and biscuits. I remembered to buy the cheese ones you like._

 _Please be dressed in an outfit appropriate for moderate to strenuous physical activity._

 _The women's locker rooms are to the right of the check-in desk._

 _They are expecting you, you do not need to sign in._

 _Please make haste, but do not feel the need to rush. I have been there all morning setting up._

 _I look forward to your arrival._

 _~Winter_

"Huh."

Rarely did she sign with her first name. But the general dialogue was up to her regular military professionalism, so it wasn't out of place per se. She sighed, standing up from behind the desk and carefully replacing the stuff she'd knocked over so carelessly.

"So how do I get to the gym, then? There's no map."

She pulled open the top drawer of her sister's desk and rooted through it. Surely, even someone as prepared as Winter Schnee got lost on occasion. The woman was thirty-two for goodness sake, and she could _still_ get lost in an empty warehouse if not provided with a map. And much to her excitement, there was indeed a handy map of the campus right at the bottom of the drawer.

"Good. Glad we're both idiots." she said with a chuckle.

/.../

She burst into the large, open gymnasium with a flourish of her wrist. Dressed head to toe in the finest Lycra gym shorts and sports top money could buy and wearing a brand-new pair of the most comfortable running shoes she could find, she felt fairly ready for whatever her sister would throw at her.

"Winter!"

She skipped forward, to the little table that had been set up right in the middle of the huge building. This was like four full basket-ball courts, layed out in a square. There her sister was, standing next to the table wearing a set of grey sweatpants, similar runners and her favourite _ATLAS STRONG_ hoodie. She also had a stopwatch slung around her neck. Weiss suddenly felt concerned that she might have to run laps. But that's not what she was here for, right? Ren had said something about Aura control?

"Weiss!"

The cheer came back almost _too_ cheerful for her liking. Weiss skipped forward, towards the little table that seemed to have a long tether to the nearest wall. As she made her final approach, she could see the little electric burner that was plugged in to the long orange extension chord had a shiny chrome teapot on top of it, pluming small amounts of steam. Finally the table, she gently lay her duffle bag on the ground under a chair and bounced around the table to hug her sister, who seemed all the more eager to hug her back.

"My goodness, you're excitable this morning."

"It's like, two in the afternoon."

"Fine, you're excitable _this afternoon._ Happy?"

"Currently, sure. Overall... could be worse, I guess."

Winter smiled brightly as she let her go. If she was honest, there wasn't _much_ that could make her feel worse, but some of the stuff she'd been doing to herself the last few weeks had been pretty bad. So maybe she outta up that feeling to 'pretty alright'.

"Like some tea?"

"I'd enjoy some, yes. Thank you."

She pulled her chair out and sat down at the table, which felt weird to do in a room where the walls were more than a hundred feet away in each direction. Winter sat down across from her, grabbing two teacups and placing them on the little porcelain plates in front of them both. After scooping a small amount of the little dark green leaves into each cup, she took the tiny towel that was folded neatly in the centre of the table and placed it over the handle of the teapot before lifting it off the burner.

"So how was the drive in?"

Weiss watched her pour the boiling water over the leaves in each cup.

"Tedious. This place is really fuckin' far away."

"Mind your language, Weiss."

"Sorry. This place is really far away and sitting in traffic to get on the highway out of Anfang is like waiting for a train to run you over in a ghost town."

Winter chuckled, stirring her tea. "Weird metaphor, but okay."

"That's a simile, sister, not a metaphor, but yeah I know it's weird. It's the best I could do in the time given, sue me."

"My my, you're in a mood today."

"I-I got lost trying to find this place."

"I knew you would, that's why I put a map in my desk for you."

Weiss chuckled.

"Why didn't you put it on _top_ of the desk? Or in the envelope with the note?"

"I wanted you to find it. To use you intuition."

"See, I would have hidden it in a picture frame of some sports equipment if I was gonna be clever like that."

"Aw, you are right, that would have been much more interesting."

Weiss sipped her tea with a smile. Then remembered why you don't sip tea for the first twenty minutes or so.

"Aah, this is too hot!"

"Do be careful."

"Shut it."

"After all this work I've done for you, you still use that kind of language with _me,_ your favourite sister?"

"You're my only sister."

"Mmm, I have some pictures from when Whitley was little that say otherwise."

Weiss narrowed her eyes at her sister, who had put on a rather _evil_ grin.

"I'm sorry, what."

"Mm, nothing. I said nothing."

"You're gonna show me those pictures."

"Mm, if you're good."

They sat for a moment in a quiet contemplation as their teas cooled off enough to drink. Winter was the first to brave the boiling tea, with Weiss following quickly after to not seem weak. It was still too hot to drink, but she endured. Coffee was never this hot on the first sip, so she wasn't used to it.

"So've you been waiting for me for long?"

Winter shrugged.

"Since about noon-hour. It was surprisingly hard to find an extension chord on base here. Especially one this long. I had to go visit the Automotive guys to get one, then I had to pull rank when they didn't want to give up the goods."

"You still holding Major?"

"Lieutenant Colonel, now."

"Oh you got a promotion, congratulations. Why wasn't I invited to the ceremony?"

"Thank you. And it was a private affair, no media coverage and no public access. Military personnel only."

"Oh. Well, good work. Hopefully soon you'll be taking Jimmy's job."

Winter laughed out loud, a real smile breaking across her lips.

"I appreciate your confidence in me. And please don't call the General 'Jimmy' around any of the soldiers, alright? That's uh... that's considered classified information."

"What, you and Mister Branwen do it all the time!"

"That's because Qrow's an asshole, and I'm enabling. But seriously, don't say that around the troops."

"You realize everyone in this country answers to me, right?"

"We answer to the King above all else."

"And the King answers to me."

"Pfft, right."

Weiss paused, grinning brightly through her tea.

"You wanna see pictures from my birthday last year? When me and Arnolf got drunk and played video games in our pyjamas?"

Her eyebrows shot so far up they almost left her forehead.

"No way."

"Yes way."

"Huh. Alright. Uh, did your majesty want sugar in her tea?"

"You're mocking me, aren't you."

She leaned back in her chair, spreading her arms wide.

"Last I checked I was still your older sister, and that was still my primary profession, the military be damned."

"Meanie."

"Hey, you made me postpone my wedding, this one is on you."

Weiss pouted.

"I'm sorry."

"I can be patient, it's alright. Qrow's not pleased but I made him understand that sometimes things happen that we have no control of."

"I'm really sorry."

She shrugged.

"As long as you promise to pay my deposits in case I lose it. Then I won't be even a little upset. Look, it's fine. It's only pushed back, it's not like I'm _cancelling_ my wedding or anything, it's still going to take place. Don't you worry."

She felt some regret start to work over her. It wasn't the nicest of feelings.

"I'm-"

"Stop apologizing."

"Sorry."

Winter rolled her eyes at her and set her cup down on it's little matching dish.

"If you keep apologizing, I'm not going to make you my maid of honour, you know."

Weiss increased her pout and sank down into her seat.

"I'm-"

She stopped as Winter's 'big sister' look slapped her across the face.

"-understanding of the situation."

"Better."

Weiss put her now empty teacup down on the table as well, sitting back up straight as her sister's bright smile returned.

"Now, on the topic of situations, we need to start to delve into yours."

"Yes, I think we do."

"Your little handsome boyfriend came to see me a little while ago, said you had some issues you needed to deal with involving a certain member of the Valean military, and a former student at school with you."

"Number one, he's not my boyfriend, and number two, this technically isn't _my_ problem, I'm just the one solving the problem."

Winter stood up, giving her an inquisitive look.

"Then why do you choose to solve it?"

"It's for a friend."

"For Ruby?"

"Yeah."

"Because you love her."

"Yeah."

"Because you want to get revenge for what he did to her?"

She nodded.

"Ren said she'd do it herself, but she can't bear to face him. So I said I would go in her place."

"That's fair. And very amicable. You're a good friend."

"I'm trying."

"And I'm sure you're doing what you can."

She paused, shrugging her shoulders and leaning back in her chair and exhaling. She gave her empty cup a half-smile and flicked the edge of the plate with her finger.

"...yeah. I just wish I didn't have to."

"You don't have to, you're choosing to."

"No, I mean, I wish there was never the situation where I have to in the first place. I wish bad things never happened to Ruby. To me. To anyone."

Winter sighed. A deep, lungful sigh.

"Bad people exist all over the world, honey. There's not much we can do about that. It's unfortunate that you happen to run into one so selfish and cruel. And it sucks that he had to do that to the person you love. But that's why you're here. To put an end to one bad person. That has to count for something, no?"

"I guess."

Weiss caught a glare through her sister's eyebrows.

"You guess?"

"It does, it counts for something."

She nodded, smugly.

"That's correct. Now shall we begin making it count?"

Winter picked up both teacups on their plates and set them off to the side of the table. She turned, reaching down to a large box that had been sitting next to the table, turning it and flicking the latches so Weiss couldn't see what was inside. As she stood up, she had a leather leg sheath in her hand, complete with the Bowie knife buckled in place. With a flick of her thumb, the clasp snapped open and she pulled the knife free of it's sheath, and proceeded to drive it into the table with a loud _thunk._ Weiss jumped, not expecting to be knifed today.

"What the hell's this?!"

"This is a knife."

Weiss muddled this over for a moment, perplexed.

"...but why?"

Winter righted herself, pulling her legs together and clasping her hands behind her back in a very commanding sort of stance. One Weiss was intimately familiar with, as it was the same teaching stance Professor Goodwitch used to use. Very upright. Very up _tight._ She paced a few steps around the table.

"What would you do... if say, you were in a tussle with some Beowolves, and your rapier was to be knocked from your hands?"

She turned on her heel, directing her gaze down at the still-sitting and still-a-little-shocked Weiss.

"...reach for my sidearm."

"You carry a sidearm?"

"Uh, yeah, I used to. Ruby said it was a good idea for emergencies, so I bought a .38 Detective Special that I wore on a thigh-holster. It's in my bedside table at home now, but that's what I'd do should I lose my sword."

Winter blinked a few times. Clearly she'd been on a roll in her head.

"Okay, so now you're out of rounds in the sidearm, and there's still Grimm surrounding you, what do you do?"

"Dive for Myrtenaster."

A finger was suddenly on her nose.

"There's a Grimm in the way."

"Start punching."

"You're in no shape to punch a two-thousand-pound Grimm out of the way."

Weiss shrugged.

"Die, I guess."

"Not an option, soldier. You need to get your weapon back."

"You said I can't."

"Didn't say that. I just said there was obstacles. Have a look over there."

She gestured over her shoulder to where the long extension chord was plugged into. There was a little table about the same size as the one she was seated behind sitting up against the wall with what looked very much like her sabre perched neatly on it on a velvet blanket.

"Is that yours?"

"It is indeed. Observe."

She brought her hands together. With a _woosh_ of chilled air, a small, perfect white glyph formed between them. As she pulled her hands apart, clouds of condensation pooled out from the glyph as two frozen objects started to form in her hands. With two pointed flicks of her wrists, she separated her hands all the way, procuring two icy replicas of the exquisite sabre and parrying dagger pair she favoured.

"Woah."

Winter tapped the two unbelievably sharp ice blades together, demonstrating how solid they were. She rotated her hand and drove the dagger into the table top next to the Bowie knife, startling Weiss again. The sword followed it through the wood tabletop.

"Okay, what do you have against this table?"

"I needed to prove how sharp the summoned blades are."

"I think I would have understood if you had done something like, oh I dunno, cut a tomato or something. That's what our head chef does to test his blades, this just seems..."

"Like a reasonable demonstration of brute strength?"

"Look, can you just... not stab the table anymore. I'm worried about my knees."

"Alright, fine."

She snapped her fingers. The two ice blades shattered into a frozen mist, leaving two sword-shaped holes in the surface where the swords used to be.

"So that was cool."

"Wasn't it, though?"

Winter seemed to be just as amused with herself as she was. She had this giddy smile on as she sort of hopped around in place for a moment, before straightening up and clearing her throat.

"Now, do you see the tactical advantage of that?"

"I... guess so? Seems kinda like a neat party trick, though. Not really tactically advantageous."

Winter nodded slowly, looking away for a moment.

"Alright, try this. Stand up."

Weiss stood, gently pushing her chair back in and stepping to the side of the table. She watched as her sister pushed the large green case further back still with her foot, reaching into it again. The leather sheath was thrown at her, bouncing off her stomach and into her hands. She caught it, barely, before turning an inquisitive look to her older sister.

"What's..."

"Put it on. And take that knife."

She gestured to the knife that she'd driven into the table. Weiss sighed and wrapped the two long leather straps around her left thigh, pulling the buckles as tight as was comfortable. The lower brass buckle was absolutely freezing against her skin, and she fought the urge to squeal like a stuck pig. She righted herself and reached for the knife, wrapping her fingers around the ribbed wood handle. She yanked.

"Holy gods, this thing is stuck."

"C'mon, use your arms."

She placed her right hand face down on the table, bracing the whole of her weight against it and tried again. After making some rather unladylike noises and nearly bursting a whole _row_ of blood vessels in her forehead, the blade came loose from its hold in the surface, allowing her to wiggle it free the last few inches. With a spin of her wrist, she flipped the knife down into the sheath. She stood up straight and put her hands on her hips.

"Okay, now what."

"Draw on me."

Weiss stumbled for thought for a moment, sputtering.

"S-sorry, what?"

"Draw on me like you are going to attack me."

Weiss let her hand drop slowly to the blade's handle.

"You're... sure?"

"Yes. But don't do it slowly. Attack me. Think of this like combat training."

"Alright."

She put her leg back, and her hand shot down to her hip, wrapping around the handle of the blade. Just as she had the blade no more than halfway out of the sheath, she went to move forward. This would be easy. Weiss was the fastest draw of all her teammates. No one had ever beaten her on a draw, and she wasn't about to lose to her sister. Her body tensed.

"Too slow."

There was a sword in her face. She stopped dead. She'd barely made it even out of her own footprint. And now she was staring down the barrel of the sharpest icicle she'd ever seen.

"Huh?"

"You're dead. I killed you."

"How?!"

"You didn't draw fast enough."

"That's not possible. Forming a summon takes more than a second, and I can draw in under a quarter."

"On the contrary."

Winter twirled the icy sword in her fingers, whipping the tip around as she stepped back around the table."

"On _what_ contrary?"

"Summoning something like a Beowulf or a Boarbatusk has a toll on your abilities because it has so much mass. So it takes time to form. But a sword on the other hand weighs very little, meaning it can be summoned in an instant. Same effort, less size, and boom, instant weapon."

"Wow, seriously?"

"Absolutely. Give it a shot."

"Okay, but-"

"Oh yeah, and don't try to summon anything complex like a gun or anything, you'll end up giving yourself an aneurysm. Trust me."

She tapped herself on the temple a few times. Weiss gave her a concerned look, not remembering such an occasion. Or wanting to.

"What should I try then?"

Winter shrugged.

"Try the knife? Just focus on the blade and nothing else. Same way you summon anything else."

"Arright."

She took a moment to buckle the knife on her thigh into its sheath. She'd had a problem back at school whenever she summoned anything that was larger than her hand. She'd accidentally blown herself up a few times. So she didn't want to have a knife blown into her stomach because it wasn't secured in place. She pulled out her chair and sat back down. She didn't want to fall over. It'd been a while.

She closed her eyes, and pictured the knife. It was a simple knife. Not overly stylish, not overly curved, and not serrated. In terms of knives, it was a pretty boring specimen. But she had it in her mind.

"Okay, I have it. What do I do?"

"Hold out your hand like you were going to grab a knife out of the air."

Her left hand came out from under the table, her right hand following along behind for moral support. She focused, creating a tiny glyph on the palm of her hand.

"Now summon."

She did. And immediately, a loud solid _thunk_ resonated off the table top as something hit it. She opened her eyes, completely taken aback by what she saw. Her hand, still open over the table, was suspended over a roughly-hewn ice knife that had knocked over the box of tea leaves. She reached for it, grasping the 'handle' in her hand, which she found was surprisingly not cold. It had some weight to it, but it was only a few ounces more than the real deal.

"So that was good for literally your first attempt. I'm impressed."

"But I dropped it."

"Because you summoned faster than you thought you could, so you missed your own hand. The same thing happened to me the first hundred times."

Weiss let the knife fizzled out of existence into a cloud of steam. She put her hand out again, palm facing upwards. She tried again. The little glyph spun into existence followed immediately by the weighty coldness of a second icy knife. She wrapped her fingers around the handle before it was even fully formed, ending up with the blade in her hand and now on the table.

"Hey, I got it!"

She looked to her sister, who pouted.

"Great, fantastic."

"What, are you upset at me?"

"No, just disappointed in myself that I never thought to catch it like that."

Weiss chuckled to herself, spinning the knife in her fingers a few times.

"I'm used to falling over, so I did was came naturally."

"Okay, that's fair. Alright, now we're gonna spend some time practising getting that knife to be more realistic and sharper, okay?"

Weiss smirked, flipping the blade into a reverse grip and slamming it into the tabletop. It was Winter's turn to jump back as the frozen blade entered the top of the wood surface and stuck in place.

"Alright. Let's see what we can do."

/.../

"Come on! Again!"

Weiss panted, stepping back into position and sliding the knife back into it's sheath. Her chest heaved. She hadn't done this much training with her sister since before Beacon. But the drills were the same now as they'd been then. Wait for the whistle, attack, get knocked down, and then get up again. Over and over and over. She wiped a bead of sweat from her brow, coughing roughly.

"Are you really that tired, sister? For shame."

Weiss gritted her teeth and nearly growled, her hand falling to the clasp that help the knife in place on her hip. She leaned down and put her right foot forward, bracing her body to pounce. The whistle sounded.

She jumped forward unassisted by any aura or glyphs, her knife instantly in her hand and into her preferred forward grip, her index finger rested comfortably against the dull side of the blade for control. She swiped to her sister chest, but the attack was easily dodged by the tall soldier with a simple turn of her body. Weiss was undeterred, swiping to the right where her opponent now stood. Her blade collided with the polished and scarily sharpened sabre Winter was wielding in one hand with the other still behind her back. Weiss pushed forward, swiping again and causing Winter to step back.

That was a first.

She pushed her advantage, hopping forward and driving a punch towards Winter's cheek. The blow was easily dodged, as it was so clearly obvious to anyone watching from miles away that Weiss would have been more confused if the shot had hit. She sailed forward through the air, tucking forward and rolling over her left shoulder as she came back down. Halfway through the roll, she rotated and took another low swing at the legs. Another miss as the legs left her frame of view with a flip backwards.

"Come on! Like you mean it!"

This felt unfair. Two and a half _hours_ and she hadn't landed a single hit. She was out of breath, out of aura, and out of patience for this endeavour. Winter was clearly the superior fighter, but that was an indisputable fact. She was a soldier, whereas Weiss was merely a businesswoman and formerly a student of a _training_ school. Her sister had done nothing for the last fifteen years _except_ fight for the military. But to her credit, Weiss _had_ been holding her own.

"Just _shut up!"_

She dived forward, taking swipe after swipe towards the tall and obvious target, military trained or not. The short dagger rang loudly off the sabre's blade with every strike, and the sound was clearly getting to the both of them. She pushed on, making her sister take more and more steps backwards and away from her. A smirk crossed her face, knowing that she would be within her sister's guard circle withing moments, hopefully able to bat that sabre out of her hand and make the fight a little more fair.

She dropped to her knees and bent backwards out of the way of a low swipe from her opponent, springing back upwards. She had gotten up faster than Winter had retracted her swing. Her heart raced, realizing this left her sister's right shoulder unguarded and unprotected.

A mistake!

Weiss jumped, literally _jumped_ at the opportunity, flipping the knife into a reverse grip and taking a mighty swing towards the right cheek. It would bounce off her aura, sure, but it would count as a hit. Weiss watched the fear fill her sister's eyes as the blade started to advance on her face. Pure, carnal enjoyment flowed through her as time seemed to slow down, as if the entire world wanted to see how this played out. She could see her shoulder moving as if to try and get out of the way. Too late. Weiss followed through the swing.

Until a sudden, dull pain caught in her wrist. She sent a glace down. There, just at her wrist, was the back of Winter's right hand, empty of the sabre it held mere milliseconds ago. Panic raced through her mind. Was she disarmed? Had she sacrificed the blade to block the shot? She scrunched up her face and made a decision. The sudden pain in the wrist had made her hand unclench and drop her own blade, which had gone sailing over Winter's right shoulder. She put her right foot up and drove it into her sister's sternum, propelling the two of them apart. She flipped backwards once, landing on her feet and crouching down.

"Too slow!"

She looked up. The sabre had switched to her left hand and was now coming at her, point-first. For the last hundred or so time, this had been the point Weiss yielded. But she was fed up of losing. Not this time, she wouldn't yield again.

"Not quite."

A glyph spun into existence on her left hand. She drove her fist forward, towards the oncoming blade. The familiar chill of ice caressed her palm. She smirked. This time the blade wouldn't come down on her and force her to give up.

"Haa!"

She swung towards the oncoming blade. The ice knife in her left hand deflected the oncoming attack with such ease that she nearly knocked herself over from the force she'd put into it. The genuine shock on Winter's face kept her standing up, though. She sent another attack across from the right side, as if to try and remove her head. Weiss wasn't going to have it today. She drove the blade downward to the hilt of her sister's blade, catching the sharp side just under the cross-guard and next to her thumb. Weiss twisted her wrist and pulled her arm back, ripping the sabre from her grip and sending it clattering to the floor off to the side. Her sister sputtered.

"W-what...?"

Weiss dove forward, her right fist shooting out and up to the throat.

Everything in the room stopped. The only sound was the plastic stopwatch falling to the ground with a loud snap. The chill in her hands was making her fingers tingle, but she was ignoring it. She had won. She had come out victorious. There was no more training to be done.

She panted, finally turning her head up to her sister's face. The icy blade she was holding across her trachea looked a tad uncomfortable, judging by the amount of twitching that her sister's face was doing. Weiss shuddered. Any closer and she might have accidentally killed her sister. She stepped back, retracting both ice blades down to her sides and relaxing her overly tense body. She exhaled a nervous breath as the remaining half of the stopwatch string fell from the back of Winter's neck and down to the floor. She looked away a few times, before looking back at Winter.

"S-sorry."

Winter smiled, and relaxed as well.

"No, don't be. That was perfect."

Weiss put a few steps of distance between her and her sister, Pulling the two ice knives behind her back and out of her line of sight. To her surprise, Winter tried to come _closer._

"Winter, wait..."

"Hey, don't worry, you didn't hurt me, it's fine. Show them to me."

"Wh-what?"

Winter closed the distance, gesturing to her. She tentatively pulled the two blades from behind her back, and held them out in font of her. To her surprise, Winter yanked them from her hands and pulled them to her face.

"Wait, be caref-"

"These are amazing. These are perfect summons!"

She held them out to make Weiss look at them. She hadn't had the time to look at them properly yet, but now she'd been given the chance to see what she'd created she couldn't not agree with Winter's sentiment.

"I want to _keep_ these. I don't think I've ever summoned something this perfectly clean and clear!"

The ice knives were perfectly transparent, with no clouding in the ice like they'd have found in regular ice cubes or in the pond ice in front of Schnee Manor six months of the year. Most times Weiss had ever summoned anything it had been cloudy and fairly brittle. But these two knives had the solid feel of actual titanium, and were as sharp as the real deal as well.

"But they'll melt..."

"Could you make them again?"

"Probably?"

Winter's face lit up.

"Do it! Right now!"

Weiss sputtered, but brought her hands up and spun a glyph up on her palm. As quick as she could, the summon formed and she grabbed the knife by the handle as it started to exist. Winter gushed.

"Amazing! This is... I'm stunned!"

Now Winter had three knives. Weiss rubbed her arm sheepishly.

"Sorry for trying to kill you."

"Hey, don't be, I told you to. You'd have stopped before you got through more than two layers of skin anyways. I know you. You'd miss me too much."

"Yes. Yes I would."

"Besides, you managed to best me. _Me._ A trained soldier, and the person who trained _you._ I'm more than impressed. I'm _proud_ of you."

Weiss's mouth twitched, trying to make a smile.

"Took me two and a half hours, though."

"That's the closest anyone's ever come."

"Really?"

"Absolutely. Take a seat, we'll have a break. Some more tea, perhaps."

"O-okay."

They went back across the gym to the table, where Weiss pulled out her chair and sat back down. Winter dropped the three ice knives into the kettle, plugging it back in and flipping the little red plastic switch on the power bar to the on position.

"Hope you don't mind if I re-use these. The nearest sink is way the heck over there in the change room."

It took her a second to realize that her sister was melting the three summons to use as water for the kettle.

"Can you do that? Is that... is that safe?"

"It's just ice. It'll melt into just water."

"But..."

Winter shrugged, closing the lid on the kettle and cranked the burner to the max setting. She sat down at her own chair and grabbed the two teacups again, placing them in their respective places.

"It's not just weapons you can summon. Anything you think of, you can create. Need a coffee mug because you forgot yours in the car? Boom, mug. Need a pen because yours broke? Boom, pen. Need a chair to lounge in on your break because the picnic tables are taken up by a bunch of surly jocks? You guessed it, 'boom, chair'."

Weiss chuckled.

"Wanna listen to music but forgot your radio? Boom, box."

"There, you got it."

They both laughed for a moment at her dumb joke.

"Would that really work though? Summoning a working stereo?"

Another shrug.

"Probably. I've never tried. You can summon Grimm that move and attack in very real and very alive ways, I don't see why you couldn't summon a radio. Maybe give it a try when you've practised some more."

The kettle started to whistle steam out of the lid. Weiss leaned back in her chair painfully, stretching out her legs and pinching her thighs to try and get the taught muscles to relax. They weren't having it. She winced.

"Did you have to go so hard? My legs feel like they're fit to fall off."

Winter let a breath out, dropping her shoulders and _melting_ into her chair.

"Yours too, eh?"

"Uh, yeah?"

She flopped her head backwards over the back of the chair and groaned out loud. Weiss gave her sister a wary look.

"Are you okay?"

"I can't believe you made me go for so long. I would have assumed you'd have given up at the hour mark. I've never attacked for so long before."

"S-seriously?"

Winter righted, rubbing out a spot on her neck.

"Yeah, even our training only goes for one hour sprints at full speed, then we break for twenty minutes. That's not my choice, that's set by health and safety. This has been the longest continuous battle I've ever done."

Weiss paused to check her own pulse. Elevated, but not racing. And her breathing wasn't especially hard.

"But... I'm not really that out of breath."

"I know, I'm impressed. A little shocked, even. Would you be able to keep fighting with that much intensity?"

"Probably for another maybe half hour or so. I'm beat, but I'm not dead."

"Good, good..."

Winter poured the two teacups full of boiling water, before gently scooping the remaining tea leaves that _hadn't_ been knocked onto the ground into the two little cups.

"...Do you run, or something? Some kind of long-distance conditioning?"

Weiss shrugged.

"Not really. I have a tough metabolism and liver, if that's any answer for you."

"Yeah, so does Whitley. You two are so damn skinny."

"I mean I have a treadmill and stationary bike in my room that I'll ride if I'm playing Space Craft or something online."

"I've seen you play, you're on for multiple hours a session. Maybe I should instate that kind of training regiment. Online Gaming and conditioning at the same time."

"I dunno, you might lose them to the game. It's pretty much not by choice anymore."

Winter laughed, sipping her tea. Weiss followed suit, remembering to blow on it this time. She'd been right, this tasted just like regular tea. Nothing special or weird, even if the water was formerly three knives made of ice.

"Well, I'm sure I could keep them in line. My squad is very much a 'how high' kind of group. They're disciplined to the absolute maximum."

"What is your- the training..." she sniffled, sneezing. "'Scuze me, what is the kind of training you make yours do. Compared to what you sent me."

"Well, a large part of theirs involves running large distances with a hundred fifty pounds of gear on. And I figured I might exclude that for yours since you weigh considerably less than that amount and you might be injured."

The rest of the workout had been unbelievably demanding anyways. Hundreds of push-ups, hundreds of sit-ups, hundreds of squats. Her body'd been destroyed anyways, and she wasn't sure if that omission really would have made a difference.

"Thanks. For you kind consideration."

"The rest is pretty much the military workout we all follow. You know, out of all my men, myself included, only two people have broken the five-hour mark for the gear run?"

"Are you one of those people?"

"I did five hours, three minutes, seventeen."

"Oh damn. What was the common time?"

"Between seven and eight hours."

Her eyebrows migrated to the upper bounds of her forehead.

"How well do you think I'd do?"

"Never know until you try. But please don't try, you'd suffer cardiac arrest. I don't want that."

"Did you?"

"I did. At the four hour mark. Restarted my own heart, kept running. I probably shouldn't have done that. I should have given up right there and called the medics to rescue me, but I wanted to break five hours. I like to think if I hadn't needed to restart my own heart out on the trail, I'd have broken the record."

They sat for a moment, sipping tea. Weiss didn't like the mental image of Winter having a heart attack. But she supposed it was a necessary evil and a part of the process. She fiddled with the edge of her teacup for a few moments, rubbing the tea-stained rim of he cup with her thumb.

"You still rollin' around in that old Aston that Whitley and I convinced you to buy?"

"That thing's not _old,_ it's barely five. And yes, I still own it, but no, I drove Qrow's car to work. The Aston's in for servicing. His car's over in the barracks parking lot."

"What's it in for?"

"I dunno, really. The light on the dashboard came on and said 'vital transmission failure' so I brought it in for service. They said it could be a month because they have to ship the parts in from the south of Mistral."

"But Astons are built in Vale."

Winter shrugged.

"Don't ask me. I just drive the car. I don't know anything about it."

"Man, I love that car. It's just so..."

Weiss rubbed her fingers together for effect.

"...fundamentally cool. So damn _gorgeous._ And _fast."_

"It's just a car, Weiss."

"Alright, whatever you say."

"But I _do_ know that my Aston could absolutely wipe the floor with your little white hatchback. I don't have to shift gears, I don't have to make a good launch or anything. Just have to drop my foot and you're a little speck in my mirror."

"Well... currently, yeah. But not normally. I have four-wheel-drive, six _hundred_ horsepower, and advanced adaptive aero parts that make my car-"

Winter held up her hand.

"Woah, woah, woah, stop right there. Everything you just said made absolutely no sense."

Weiss paused, scrunching up her nose.

"Uh, my car's faster than yours. But not right at the moment."

"Why not?"

"... I wrecked it."

"WHA- Are you okay?!"

"Uh, yeah, I'm fine."

"How fast were you going."

Weiss looked away.

"Zero."

"...huh?"

"It happened in the garage."

"How... how did you wreck your car in the garage?"

"With a sledgehammer."

Winter's face fell into her hands.

"Why."

"I was angry. Messed up the core support, the ECM, the window frame, the roof panel and the rear quarters. Something like forty grand in repairs."

She pinched the bridge of her nose, rubbing small circles of disappointment. Weiss shrank down into herself.

"You're an idiot."

"You are correct."

"Why would you do that."

"Because I was mad, and I was alone."

"Oh, this was after the..."

"Yeah."

"Okay, now I get it. But you don't have to destroy your things when you're angry. It's wasteful. And a little juvenile."

Weiss sniffled and wiped her nose on the back of her hand.

"I know. Whitley already read me the Riot Act. So did Klein. And... my assistant. And my head of security, and the good doctor, aaaaand the Chieftain of Menagerie."

"Damn, you screwed up."

"I do what I can. I'm a multi-faceted disappointment."

"Oh, Weiss..."

Winter chuckled in her direction, setting her teacup down with a clink of fine porcelain.

"You're not a disappointment. You're just like everyone else. You have feelings and emotions."

"Yuck."

"And you also happen to have enhanced abilities that make your reactions substantially more impactful than anyone else. You just need to know how to channel that anger and ability into something useful. Like what you're doing."

"I know..."

"You know, if you were able to control your aura the right way, you could actually summon _real_ stuff. Like, _actual_ steel and titanium weapons, not just frozen replicas."

"...really?"

"Oh, yeah. It takes so much more skill and power than the two of us combined have, but I saw it done once. Grandfather used to be able to summon like that."

"But how?"

"Beats me. I think I was... maybe ten when I saw it. He summoned his sword off the mantle from across the room. It was absolutely astounding. I've been trying to practice, but all that keeps happening is ice copies."

"Oh. So I guess you won't be teaching me that."

"There's not exactly a textbook for this stuff. This is all guessing games and trial and error. The fact we figured out how to summon copies of Grimm was a complete accident."

"Hmm."

They sat for a few moments in silence, listening to the kettle's low rolling boil. Weiss finished off her cooling tea rather quickly as to not waste it, sliding her cup across the table to her sister, who wiped it clean with a silk cloth. The two cups were placed neatly back into the tea set box that was tucked away under the table. Winter shut the electric burner off.

"Did you want to continue?"

"I guess so. I've had enough break for now."

"Okay, good. We can do some high-stress exercises now."

Weiss stopped halfway through standing up.

"Wait, that wasn't high-stress?"

"Nope."

Winter reached down to the big armoured case that sat next to the table, keeping the lid facing her way again and hit the clasps. Hidden from view, Winter started to fiddle around with something inside. Something fairly large.

"What the hell counts as high-stress then? You nearly killed me for two and a half hours!"

"Well, we're gonna do the same thing again, only this time..."

She came back up, holding a short-barrelled K&H assault rifle in her hands. The magazine was already inserted, the foregrip in the unfolded position. Weiss's eyes nearly bugged right out of her head as her sister yanked back on the charging handle, chambering a round.

"...I'm gonna be shooting at you."


	36. Chapter 36: Sinner

**Chapter 73**

 _She huffed, pulling her gloves tighter down her wrists. They'd slipped down with all the sweat. Her headband was already soaked through, and her hair was clinging to her forehead like it had been glued down. It was gross._

 _Really gross._

 _Back into fighting stance, she thought, hopping on her toes for a second, shaking her arms out. Her left foot fell in line behind her right, her left hand coming up to her face and her right stayed out to defend. Defend against nothing, however. The bag wasn't at risk of suddenly throwing a haymaker. But that was the stance, and she was sticking to it._

" _Fuck."_

 _She tapped herself gently on the left cheek with her glove, dabbing a bead of sweat away that was tickling her, flicking it off to the floor. Wasting no more time, she threw the first punch, a quick right jab, blowing a cloud of chalk dust off the surface of the bag she'd used to keep it dry. Punching damp bags wasn't exactly fun. They'd make your hands slip off if you connected at the wrong angle and you were at risk of messing up your wrist and elbow. She'd spent a week in a sling from doing just that._

 _Being excused from combat classes sucked, but the break was nice enough. Having your teammate fight doubles matches for you and bring you tea so you had something to drink was sweet. She grinned to herself._

 _The follow-up punch was a hard left, her whole body turning into the swing as she pushed off with her left leg. She took the wind out of the bag, nearly bending it in half, as it loudly clattered its chain that suspended it from the ceiling. She bounced back into position, and immediately sent another sharp left into the upper half of the bag. It swayed back and forth as she sent two harsh rights across the front._

 _Her step back put her in a good position for a solid kick. Without hesitation, she lined up and rotated her body, sending a violently powerful kick into the side of the bag with her right foot. The palm of her foot stung briefly as the vinyl surface bit back hard against her skin, but she pushed through. Another hop sideways, around to the side of the bag._

 _She spun, jumping off the ground and twisting her hips, driving the top of her right foot into the face of the bag. The sound reverberated through the room with a loud clap, swinging the bag almost all the way ninety degrees up. She landed back on her right foot, settled her left and sent another barrage of punches into the offending surface._

 _She was mad._

 _She didn't understand._

 _It didn't make sense._

 _She was stronger. Stronger than he was. She was maxing out at over nine-hundred on the bench, could run a full marathon before feeling out of breath, had the second-highest scores in combat class after Pyrrha, and had even made Professor Goodwitch tap out on the mat, something the other students never could._

 _She'd devoted her life to training. To getting stronger. But it wasn't working._

 _She lined up another solid left hook, shaking the bag to its very core. Had it been a person or Grimm there'd have been severe internal hemorrhaging, massive bone fractures, and quite likely death from that impact. This didn't satisfy her enough. She hopped backwards, her legs spread wide. Remembering a move she saw on the internet performed by a professional kickboxing champion, she wondered if she had the skill or rotational torque to try it. The four-hit combo. She rolled out the crick in her neck._

 _Taking a running start from a few steps back, she jumped into the air and twisted as hard as she could. She could do a triple twist on a trampoline or springboard, sure. Once on her skates, too. She'd just never tried it off the floor with no assistance. Now or never, then, she thought. As her feet left the ground, her arms came in, accelerating the counter-clockwise spin so she couldn't quite see anymore. The bag became a dull blur, but it was within range. Her left foot hit first, then her right. As her body rotated, she pulled her arms tighter together to conserve as much energy as possible. Her ponytail was probably expelling some of that force, but hopefully not too much. Her body had started a lean, about forty-five degrees off of vertical now as she came around again._

 _Tighter, she willed herself._

 _Her abdomen flexed, keeping her legs in line and her body from folding in half. She was dead tired. But not dead yet. Her right foot hit the bag again, and her left followed closely behind, making her lean all the way horizontal. With a strong twist of her hips, she finished off the flip and landed back on her feet with a heavy thud. She seethed._

" _Fuck!"_

 _With a jump forward, she landed one final left blow on the bag. That was more than it could handle. The chain holding it to the ceiling snapped, and it sailed across the gym, landing with a resounding poof against the wall right next to the exit door. Where her sister had been standing, actually. Watching her with her arms crossed._

" _Holy hell, baby sis. Hit it hard enough, you think?"_

 _She panted, her hands, legs, chest, and mind aching. Her sister caught a glare, uncrossing those arms._

" _Are you alright?"_

 _No, she was most certainly not._

" _Fight me."_

" _E-excuse me?"_

 _She stood up all the way and walked to the edge of the mat._

" _Take your shoes off," she demanded, pointing at the black and blue vinyl surface. "and spar with me."_

 _Her sister hesitated for a moment. But she complied with a concerned look._

" _Alright, but you don't have to be so upset about it."_

 _The boots came off, the purple socks too. God, those socks were awful to look at. They didn't match anything, and her sister's insistence on wearing them was just as annoying. Couldn't she see in the mirror? She pulled at the gloves, stripping them off and tossing them aside._

" _What, no gloves?" her sister asked. She shook her head._

" _No gloves in class, no gloves in here."_

 _A shrug. "Alright. Your rules, sis."_

" _Attack me."_

" _Wait, what?"_

 _She stepped forward, not even getting in to a defensive stance. This wasn't the time for disobedience._

" _I said, attack me. Or can't you hear so well?"_

" _What are you-"_

 _There was no time for this. She put her hands right to her sister's chest and shoved. Back she went, falling to the floor. Any normal person would have landed on their back and skidded to a stop, flopping around like a fish first. But not her sister. She landed on her back, and very easily rolled over her left shoulder and pushed back up standing with her right arm. She looked shocked and a little insulted. This was good._

" _What the hell was that for?"_

" _I said_ fight me."

 _She pushed her down again. This was too easy. There was no challenge. This time, her sister didn't roll back up, but landed already coiled on her hands and_ sprung _back up, a fist ready for a solid hit. Not solid enough. She side-stepped, grabbing the incoming right hook by the wrist with her left hand and forced it to follow through off-centre, sending her sister tumbling back down to the mat ten feet away._

" _Come on! You call that a shot?"_

 _She struggled to her feet. Her warm look from earlier had turned to a very angry one. She knew that the look was usually reserved for people who pissed her off, and that was exactly what she was trying to get to happen. A little bit of anger. Maybe that would release the semblance._

" _What is your problem?"_

" _I didn't realize you were so weak."_

" _That fucking does it. You asked for this."_

 _With a yell, the air around her ignited. That blazing flame that licked around her whole body was enough to send shivers down most spines, but not hers. She was waiting for it. The raw, unrestrained power. Her sister dashed forward and jumped into the air, winding her right arm back and lining up a punch straight for her face. She didn't even blink, just waited. This move was so obvious and projected it would take an idiot to be struck by it. The shot may have been obvious, yes, but it carried enough kinetic energy that she needed only to hit the ground around the opponent to send them and anything in a five-metre radius flying backwards with tremendous speed. She'd seen her sister punch a broken-down school bus across a wrecking yard one summer when they were out training. This kind of punch would be lethal to anyone without a protective aura. But she waited for it. Moments before impact, she moved._

 _Her left hand came up as the punch came around, and caught the fist. She wasn't displaced even an inch as a hundred thousand kilograms of force slammed into her hand and were wasted in an instant. The flames went out as her sister crumpled to the ground in front of her. She was quick to roll over and sit up._

" _What the fuck was that? What the fuck_ are _you?"_

 _Tears had started to stream down her face. She yelled downward at her sister._

" _Why am I not strong enough?!"_

" _What are you talking about?"_

 _She looked at her hand, red and sore from the impact._

" _Why am I not! Strong! Enough!" she screamed again._

 _She didn't understand. She could take and deal the most damage out of anyone she knew. She could take impacts that would level buildings. She could then lift the building back up again. She didn't understand why she felt so powerless. So weak. So small._

" _Aaaargh!"_

 _She turned and ran off, back to the hallway outside of the gym. The heavy steel door was no obstacle to her as she mashed through it, leaving a fist-shaped indent in the surface. She grabbed her shoes out from under the bench beneath the bulletin board and threw them on, picking up her coat from the hook next to it. If she was anything, she was furious._

 _Having blasted the doors to the gym complex open as well, she angry-marched across the grounds towards the parking lot. She had some place to be. Maybe Junior's for a drink. He'd let her stay over in one of the VIP rooms if she needed it. She just knew that she needed to get off campus. For a while._

 _There were a few people out on the grounds but not many, mostly congregated around the fountain on the benches, reading or whatnot. There was midterms for the younger year classes starting up the following week, but being in fourth year meant no more midterms, only finals and missions. So she didn't need to be studying. She was too angry to study. To angry to see where she was going, too, as when she blew through the door to the welcome centre, she very nearly blew her teammate off her feet and onto the hard tile floor._

" _Hey, watch where you're going!" she said in a mock-angry tone, a smile tickling her lips._

" _Fuck off. I'm not in the mood."_

 _She left her teammate standing there, her face as white as her hair and a shocked gasp stuck somewhere in her throat. She brushed her off, forcing herself around the help desk, knocking over a cup full of pens that sat on the high shelf on the back of the circular cubicle. Much to the chagrin of the miserable old woman behind the desk. What did she care anyways. She didn't understand. The air in the tiny welcome centre went stale as she left, officially off the campus grounds._

 _When the sunlight in the parking lot hit her face, she winced, breathing heavily through her teeth. It burned. The harsh, October air burned. Even though it was still warm out. It burned. It burned with an anger that she couldn't place, with a malice that felt disconnected, and with such a deep-rooted sorrow that she could barely breathe, let alone process it. Her heart heaved as tears streamed down her face, washing shame down her cheeks and washing fear into her core. She hated herself. She was a monster. Attacking her sister. Swearing at her partner. And for what? She didn't feel strong. Was this what he did to her? Made her evil?_

 _Her tunnelled mind seemed to agree, shouting profanities at her as she crossed the pavement to the little row of trees where she had parked. But there was still an obstacle in her way. In the form of four of the school's most loathsome boys. Team CRDL. God, how she despised them. So arrogant, so rude. They were a different kind bad time. Blatant misogynists, horrible racists. And above all else, so inane in their bullying that it almost pleased her to see it happening. Because it meant she could stop it. And it meant she could use force._

 _Today's target was one Velvet Scarletina, the resident rabbit faunus who'd stayed behind a year for a few pre-med courses after her and her team had officially graduated as licensed Huntsmen a few months prior. But that somehow hadn't sunk in to the moronic quartet, who continued to pester the poor woman, pulling on her ears. Had they not learned? Was this not tiresome for_ them _yet?_

" _Hey!" she yelled, grabbing their attention. Dove and Sky stopped their ear-pulling for a moment and looked over. Her vision focused on the two of them, ignoring Cardin and Russel, who were standing to the side. Out of the line of fire, as it turned out. "Fuckers!"_

 _She dashed forward, picking up a blinding speed. The cars in the parking lot, the trees alongside, the streetlamps all became a blur in her vision as she accelerated towards the two boys at the centre of it all. Dove let go of Velvet's ear and stepped slightly back. Sky, however, did not. This was his first mistake. She barrelled into him like a runaway freight train, lifting his body off the ground with her hands around his neck. She tightened as they fell to the ground. She landed on him knees-first, pinning his arms outstretched to he couldn't move or grab at her. The grey-mulleted boy was completely at her mercy. Which she was by no means going to give him._

" _How_ dare _you!" she screamed into his face. "Attacking someone like that? Why don't you pick on someone your own size? Someone who can defend themselves fairly!?"_

" _What, like you?" Russel asked, safely out of harm's way. She turned her angry gaze over to him, not letting up on Sky's neck for even a second. She watched the look actually hit Russel and make him shiver and take a real step back._

" _Yeah, why not me? Am I not small, insignificant and weak to_ you too?!" _She screamed at him. "Move an inch forward and I'll snap his neck, Thrush."_

" _Hey, sweetheart, for god's sake, don't you think you're being a little harsh?" Cardin asked, a confusing tone of remorse and softness in his voice. "You're turning his face blue!"_

" _Harsh?!" she yelled as she looked back down at poor Sky. His face was indeed starting to turn blue as he desperately tried to breathe. His fast-depleting aura was keeping him alive, but barely. He was bearing witness to his own choking-out. It must have been horrifying. "I'll show you harsh! I'll show you what it's like to have your power taken away! Your freedom! What it's like to be trapped in your own skin!"_

 _She launched her left fist into Sky's face, easily breaking his nose with a sharp crack. If he had been breathing, he would have likely choked on his own blood. But since she had his trachea in a vice-grip, it just pooled out the front and down the sides of his face. Teardrops fell from her face and landed on his. She was just so. Otherworldly. Angry._

" _Hey, woah, take it easy, killer." Cardin said, suddenly over her shoulder. He placed his hands on each of her shoulders, as if to reassure her. For a man who's teammate was literally being murdered right in front of him, he was surprisingly calm. "You don't have to worry, they're just-"_

 _He couldn't finish his sentence. She caught his throat with one hand._

" _Cardin." she said, pulling his head down so it was right next to hers._

" _Y-yeah?" he struggled out._

" _Go fuck yourself."_

 _She flexed her arm and tossed him one-handed back over at Russel and Dove, knocking the two of them over and into a pile of groaning and complaining as the six-foot-eight and three-hundred-pound Cardin Winchester flattened his two smaller teammates. There was a crack, followed by a sharp yelp as the weight of Cardin's falling body snapped one of Russel's wrists like a twig. She didn't care. She just looked back down at Sky, and brought her face so close to his that their noses almost touched. Her crying reflection in his watering eyes was pretty ugly in her opinion._

" _Don't you ever..." she whispered. "...make someone feel like they are trapped again. Or I will find you. And I won't be doing_ this _next time."_

 _She released her hands from his neck. With a massive inhale, the colour returned to his face, and he coughed the drying blood up onto his shirt. She stood up, releasing his arms which went straight to his own neck, caressing the bruised purple flesh she had given him. He coughed hard and continuously for a few moments as she stepped off of him. He rolled over, his back to her as he slowly reclaimed his life. She looked down at her hands. She turned to Cardin, who had slowly gotten back to his feet with little regard for the comfort of his teammates, using Dove's face as a hand-hold._

" _Why am I so weak? Why can't I do anything when he touches me?" she said quietly to herself. She turned back to Sky, convulsing on the ground. "I hate you."_

 _She'd said it more to herself than to Sky, but she made sure that enough of the force behind it that he cowered further into himself on the ground._

" _I'm sorry, Vel. I showed up too late. They boys will do better next time." Cardin said, off to her right. She was confused by his use of words. Why was he apologizing? Didn't he bully her? Ah, it didn't matter. She stormed off, towards her car._

 _There it sat, under the canopy of trees at the back of the lot, the little faded red RRS sedan politely parked between the lines next to her sister's motorcycle, her partner's crystal white Klasse-G SUV, and her teammate's retired police car, the takedowns folded back against the a-pillars. Her car's flip-up headlights were folded away, the cheap parts store rims dinged from a few interviews with the curb of the super-tight drive-thru lane at the McAlbert's down the street. She yanked the permanently unlocked door open and fell in, her butt bouncing in the ripped beige interior that was equal parts candy wrappers and weapon parts scattered about. The keys fell out of the sun visor, and she jingled them into place. She matted the clutch and cranked the motor into life. It barked at her as she ground the transmission into reverse._

 _She backed out of her spot with force, whipping the wheel around and skidding to a stop. She slammed the gear stick back into first and matted her foot into the accelerator and dumped the clutch, leaving two long black streaks as the car's little twin cam engine tried to melt the front tires._

" _Fuck this shit."_

 _She left the parking lot, and fired off towards the city._

 _/.../_

 _The streets and signs had melded into one large puddle of angry as she weaved in and out of traffic. Junior's bar was just a few blocks down the road. She could see the large neon sign down at the end of the street, glowing down at street even though it was the middle of the day. Man, those lights were powerful. She slid her car to a stop at the red light that had appeared in front of her. She sniffled, and looked away, simply to not have to focus on the one thing that was so obvious. So instead, her eye caught a church sign, on her side of the street just through the intersection. Christ Le Roi de la Baptiste. Her vision narrowed. She hadn't been to church in a long, long time. Probably not since before her mother died. She was devoutly religious, and made the four of them all go with her, every Sunday at eight in the morning. But that was at St. Patrique back in Patch. This was a baptist church nonetheless._

 _Maybe she ought to go in._

 _The answers she was looking for weren't at the bottom of a row of shot glasses, for sure. She knew that. But they weren't at the bottom of a glass of milk, either. Perhaps a modicum of divine intervention might be of need at this point. She was tired of being angry. She was tired of being tired. As the light went green, instead of racing down the street to Junior's, she very slowly pulled through the intersection, and crossed over to the parking lane against the curb. She pulled up, making sure to be ahead of the sign that claimed she couldn't park behind it lest she reap a one hundred lien fine, and turned her car off. She sat for a second and rubbed her eyes raw._

" _Fuck..."_

 _She sniffled. This seemed like an overreaction to her, but an overreaction was better than no reaction at all. She got out of her car, taking her keys with her this time and walked around to the meter. She fumbled around in her pocket for a moment, taking out two quarters and slotting them in the worn-out and scratched parking meter. The little digital display cycled twice, and read off a little countdown timer. It claimed she had one hour remaining. She sighed. She hoped that would be all she needed. She approached the front steps, climbing the heavy concrete with just as heavy feet._

 _The massive and ornate wooden door was an imposingly tall nine feet up, the dark brown Gothic structure having heavy brass handles tarnished with probably two hundred years of loyal sermon-goers pulling them open every day. She sighed, reading the bronzed 'All of god's children are welcome' sign in both official languages next to the door frame. She reached out and grabbed the door handle, and pushed her way inside._

 _The air in the church was a lot cooler than the outside, and she shivered, wanting to zip her coat up. But she couldn't, since she'd broken the zipper a little while ago and never bothered to fix it. It was a cheap coat anyways, not worth fixing. But not even worth replacing. Nobody was in the church today, save for one elderly gentleman sitting in a pew way up at the front, his bible open and his glasses way down at the end of his nose. All the pews seemed like they'd just been varnished, as they reflected the sunlight that was beaming in through the ancient stained glass windows. The modern convenience of air conditioning was nice, but the cold breeze ended as soon as she left the little antichamber just inside the doors and entered the church's enormous main room. Above her head sat the array of huge pipes of the organ that sat just to her left against the wall. They glistened in the light as well._

 _But she wasn't here to play this piece of musical history. She was here for an answer. Or two. She wasn't sure to what question, just yet. She crossed the church slowly to the far right wall, passing the old man who was quietly whispering something to himself, likely some scripture in an older version of the good book he still had from his boyhood. She turned away, and passed through a short arch and into a tiny hallway with a curtain at the end. There was a little brass plaque next to the curtain. Confession. She entered, sitting down in the dim stall and sliding the curtain closed. She let out a long, slow breath, and brought her hands together. Her eyes closed._

" _F-forgive me, father, for I have sinned."_

" _Really, my child? You don't sound so convinced."_

 _His voice came back through the mesh window, soft and elderly with the inflection of someone with a forked tongue. A faunus, then. She sighed, condemning her forehead to her knuckles._

" _I-I guess I've done some bad things."_

" _We all have. It's part of being human."_

 _She sniffled._

" _I really did, though. I attacked a classmate."_

" _Unprovoked?"_

" _He was- him and his crew were bullying someone. For being different."_

" _A faunus."_

" _That obvious, huh."_

" _Bigotry is a sin. Of sorts. That sounds like you did the right thing. Standing up for someone-"_

" _I put him to the ground. I hit him. Held him down. I could have snapped his neck like a twig. I'm so angry. I didn't think."_

 _There was a momentary pause, the sound of a page flipping._

" _Violence isn't an answer, no of course not. But, and since I'll assume that you were at school, there were four people bullying this one person, and you knew you needed to make a statement to get your point across."_

" _But I shouldn't have attacked him."_

" _No. But that's not a sin, my child."_

" _I almost did the same to my sister. Said some mean things to my best friend."_

" _I... sense there might be an underlying issue."_

 _More than an issue._

" _Yeah."_

" _This is a place of the lord. Anything you say, he will keep to himself."_

" _What about you?"_

" _I will also keep to myself. That was kind of my point."_

 _She smirked, but not with any happiness or joy behind it._

" _Alright..."_

 _She waited, hoping her brain would pull through and speak for her. It didn't happen. So she had to actually open her mouth and use her words._

" _Is is a sin to love a girl?"_

 _The priest on the other side of the mesh took a deep breath, letting it out slowly. Another page turned. There might have only been ten seconds between her question and his answer, but it felt longer. Hours longer._

" _No, it is not."_

" _But I thought... the whole... if a man lies with a man..."_

" _The Bible is pretty strict on its rules. And also very vulgar and graphic when it comes to what is and isn't allowed. The book states that If a man lies with a man as he would with a woman, he is to be stoned."_

" _Yeah?"_

" _Doesn't say to death."_

" _But I thought..."_

" _If one wears cloth made of threads not the same, they are to be executed in the town square, the town is to bear witness."_

" _...What?"_

" _If a person wishes to work on the sabbath, the holy day of our lord, he shall be put to death the day following, his body and soul cast to darkness. For eternity."_

" _I-"_

" _This is by no means the worst. Are you sitting down, my child?"_

" _D- yeah?"_

" _If a woman lays with a man after she bleeds her first, she shall be stoned to death by the town, with one stone for every day she is after. If that woman bears child after this time and is not stoned, the child is to be taken and boiled alive until dead, and the woman is to be crucified for her heretical crimes against our lord, bless him in heaven."_

 _She didn't say anything. Her mouth hung open._

" _I believe that is fairly clear and frankly totally messed up message on whether or not stoning is to the death or not, would you not agree?"_

" _I... guess?"_

" _The ambiguity with the text you mention is left to my interpretation, as 'not recommended, but not a sin'. In the days before modern medicine, how would you treat AIDS? HIV? Hepatitis?"_

" _I suppose you couldn't."_

" _I believe it was preemptive measures to limit the spread of incurable disease. But that is merely my opinion. The lord is clear when he wants someone put to death."_

" _So it's not a sin if I... if a girl wants to love another girl."_

" _That's correct."_

 _She thought this over for a moment. Her heart sank. Why was she even here. She didn't want to be here. Or anywhere, for that matter. She wanted to be far away, in a castle by herself where no one could reach her, hear her scream, hurt her. Anything. She wanted to be alone._

" _I have... one more question."_

" _Yes, my child."_

 _She exhaled, squeezing her eyes shut. Harder than they would go. It burned._

" _Is it a sin to rape someone?"_

 _A pause._

" _Yes. It's also a felony."_

" _Oh."_

 _She waited to see if he would say anything else. His tone said he was keeping quiet out of respect for her._

" _What about being raped."_

 _A significantly longer pause this time. No page turning sounds, either. He knew the answer, she figured. He just didn't know what to say._

" _No."_

" _Oh."_

" _It's a crime against god to do that. Thou shall not covet thy neighbour. Obviously not a direct meaning, but it should be there. It's also a crime in general. Rapists belong in prison, and for good."_

" _Oh."_

" _My child, it's not my place to ask or pry, but... did someone... abuse you?"_

 _She shut her eyes. A tear squeezed out and ran down her cheek. God, she was a mess. Crying in church. That was reserved for weddings and funerals, right? Not Tuesdays._

" _Yeah."_

" _A classmate?"_

" _Yeah."_

" _Hmm."_

" _I thought he was my friend."_

" _You should go to the police, not to church."_

" _Yeah but then there'll be an investigation, and then he'll be arrested, and then-"_

" _You should go to the police."_

 _Preachers weren't supposed to advise anything except answers from the lord, right? This didn't make sense in her head. Weren't there some amount of Hail Mary's, hymns, or holy scriptures she could site instead?_

" _But that would ruin his chances of becoming a Huntsman."_

" _Why does that matter to you?"_

" _I don't... I don't know. What are my friends and classmates gonna think if Jaune suddenly stops co-"_

 _She paused, realizing she'd revealed his name. But, he'd promised this would be between her and the lord, his honest confidence assured. If she even_ could _confide in him, real or not._

" _...If he suddenly stops coming to class? What then?"_

" _Tell the truth. People are willing to help you if you're honest with them."_

" _I just... I live with my sister, and my two best friends who would literally lay down their lives for me in combat, and they'd also lay down someone else's if they thought they needed to. If I told them the truth, he'd be nailed to a cross just like the big man in the other room."_

" _Would that not be suitable punishment?"_

" _No. Pyrrha's all in love with him now and I don't want to take away her happiness. She's not... in any condition to be choosy with her love life. She won't be around much longer. The Big C, and all that comes with it."_

" _I understand."_

" _She's helped me in the past, though. Keeping him away from me. My roommate, too. She's been nice enough to help me with b-birth control on her parents' insurance so that my dad doesn't find out. Not that I've needed it in like two years, though."_

 _She could hear the preacher sniffle, licking his finger to turn a page in whatever he was reading on his side of the mesh divider._

" _So it's been a while, then."_

" _...yeah."_

" _And you still have to see him every day."_

" _Since Ren left for Mistral, he's mostly ignored me. I still have to see him though. And I feel weak when he's around."_

" _Your underlying issue is you feel weak."_

" _Not just feel, I_ am _weak."_

" _Being a champion fighter and taking on four bullies at once is not something a weak person would be capable of, my child."_

 _She pressed her face into her hands._

" _I don't understand. I train so much. I'm undefeated in class, I once maxed on the bench at twelve hundred pounds just to show that I could, and I beat the goddamn training instructor, something no one has done ever in the twelve years she's been teaching. And somehow I can't move when he touches me."_

" _I would normally ask you to not take the lord's name in vain in the lord's house, but an exception can be made."_

 _She cried._

" _Why can't I do anything about him?" she raised her voice. His stayed level and poignant._

" _Not shame."_

" _It feels like it."_

" _There are bad people in this world. Some of those bad people have other ways of getting what they want, aside from paying or careful persuasion. And not with force, either."_

" _How?"_

" _Power. I may be but a lowly preacher, but I have studied the enhanced. Those gifted with the power of god, like yourself and your classmates."_

 _Not the power of god singular, she thought, rather the gods plural. Or so she'd been told by her world religions teacher. However they got their semblances didn't matter anymore, though._

" _I believe your lack of strength doesn't come from shame, my child. But from his touch directly."_

 _She shook her head._

" _I don't get it."_

 _He sighed._

" _I wish you could. I wish you would tell someone close to you about this problem. Someone more qualified than I to assist you. I'm just here to guide you to the answers, not tell them to you. You'd be wise to talk to your sister."_

" _I can't. She'd kill him."_

" _Violence isn't_ everybody's _answer, my child. She cares for you first, as do all siblings, regardless of how much they say they don't."_

" _Oh."_

" _Go to someone. Seek help. Or you will be trapped forever. You may not be able to get yourself free. But someone else can."_

 _She didn't believe him. She got up and left without saying goodbye._

 _Still crying._

/.../

"Ruby..."

Her eyes opened. The living room rug was rough on her butt, and the sweat pouring from her pores was soaking her hair and beading down around her face. She looked to Ren, who had both hers and Yang's wrists in his hands.

"...I didn't know..."

Her sister's face was a wash of discoloration. Trapped between ludicrously angry and perfect monochromatic calm that seemed to flicker back and forth.

"...That he did this to you."

She looked to Ren instead. And by golly was he struggling. Ren's completely overpowered semblance was near it's breaking point. The man who could mask the emotions of an entire military platoon without even waking up from a nap was in full on panic mode. His body was shaking, his suit jacket stripped off and on the couch, his dress shirt unbuttoned and soaked through with sweat. Every muscle in his body was tensed, trying to hold in the emotional weapon of mass destruction that was her sister.

"Ren?" she asked. "What's happening?"

"I can barely h- hold this, Ruby." He strained his voice, gritting his teeth. "She's too far gone. I've never-"

He gasped. She realized that her wrist had gone numb from the effort he was cranking down on it with.

"Oh my god, she's mad. Every thought in her mind is about murder."

Ruby shook her head. "I knew she'd do this. I didn't want to tell her."

"It's better that you did." he said through his teeth, letting her wrist go and grabbing Yang's with both hands. "I can sense your... re-relief."

"Ren, she's gonna kill you in a minute!"

He flashed her a look.

"I got this. I can handle it."

With a mighty yell, his eyes turned bright red, and every ounce of colour drained from the room and every person in it. The world went quiet. Everything was... calm. It was... tranquil.

There was no more anger.

"R-Ruby..." Yang muttered to her, her grey eyes perfectly relaxed.

"Yang..." she tried, feeling the heaviest weight in the entire universe lift from her shoulders. "I'm sorry."

"No, don't be. I'm sorry I didn't make myself available to you when you were upset."

"I'm sorry for not trusting you with this."

To her surprise, a smile.

"Bad things happen. I'm glad you could come to me with yours, even though it's late."

"I should have told you."

"Yes, you should have. But I understand why you didn't. You were afraid of me."

"I'm sorry."

"Stop apologizing, kiddo. It's alright."

The world had lost feeling. There was scarcely anything more than just their voices left.

"It's not. I hurt everybody."

"Because somebody hurt you first."

"I didn't want to."

"I know."

"Why did it have to happen?"

"He was evil. Self-centred. Misogynistic. Probably twisted from before. I never noticed because he stayed out of my way. I didn't notice when he got in yours, though, and for that I'm sorry. I should have been more attentive to you, Ruby."

"But I'm not a little kid."

"No. No, you're not. But I still feel the need to love you like my little sister. I saw you getting tougher and I backed off, leaving you alone because I felt unneeded. But that was my own doing. I'm sorry for abandoning you."

"You didn't."

"I kind of did. I left you with Weiss and Blake, and then you left them. I should have noticed that pattern. I was trying to let you grow up on your own. I didn't know why."

She sighed. Ruby sighed, too.

"I'm sorry, Yang. I didn't mean for this to happen."

"Nobody ever means to get raped, Ruby."

"I didn't mean to become so self-destructive."

"Nobody means to hurt. Nobody means to suffer. It happens."

"I suffered."

"I know."

"Alone."

"I wish you hadn't."

Yang was crying. She was crying. Ruby reached forward and let her head fall against her sister's.

"I'm sorry."

Yang stroked the back of her head, combing her hair with her fingers. Ruby sniffled.

"Come. Sit. Shhhh..."

She grabbed her by the hip, and gently pulled her closer. Ruby let herself get pulled in, slinging her leg over Yang's lap and wrapping herself around her. She sniffled into Yang's chest, cuddling into the soft warmness.

"I'm a bad sister. I'm a bad pers-"

"Shh. No. You're not. Honey, you're not. It's not your fault. It's never going to be your fault."

"O-okay. I'm sorry."

The soft stroking of her hair was calming. She'd come way down from the edge at this point, her breathing having returned to normal. She exhaled, taking in the sweet smell of Yang's shampoo. Vanilla, this time. It made her want cookies.

"Don't apologize anymore. You're not the one who has to be sorry."

"I know. But I feel like I did something wrong. To you."

"You did a little, but I already forgave you."

Even the eeriness of the room's lack of colour, and indeed her sister's as well, Ruby was very much at ease. Her head still hurt from the crying, and she still felt the shame in her chest, but she felt okay. Okay with Yang. Even Ren's tight grip on her wrist was okay. It was all... serene.

"What do I do now?"

"We figure out how to make you better. You've had a lot of bad things happen to you, honey, and I want to make all of them better. No, I'm going to make all of them better."

"How?"

Yang pulled her closer. Any more and she'd be suffocated by the two very warm softnesses she was enjoying. In an appropriate way, of course. Yang was her sister.

"Well, I can't do anything about your scar, you're gonna live with that forever. Unless you wanna get cool matching thorax tattoos to cover it up."

"Nah, that's okay."

"You sure? We could have some cool dragons or whatever?"

Ruby, for the first time in a little while, smiled.

"Maybe little ones. But not over the scar. I know I have to keep that."

"You're doing better with that I noticed. I'm proud of you."

"I'm not at risk of wearing crop tops just yet, though."

Yang kissed the top of her head.

"Didn't think so. They don't look so good on girls like us anyways."

"What, with abs?"

Yang chuckled and kissed her head again.

"No, stocky and muscular. Better look on Blake, or Weiss. Much narrower bodies."

"I don't think Weiss would ever wear a crop top."

They mused in the moment, thinking about the wealthy woman in revealing attire. Not a good look for someone who always wore pant suits and long coats. Come to think of it, Ruby realized that outside of school and the mildly slutty uniforms, she'd barely seen Weiss's legs, let alone her midriff. The week in the car not withstanding, of course. Yangs sighed into her cheek, breaking the little mood.

"I'm sorry that so many bad things happened to you, honey."

Ruby shrugged.

"Nothing I can do about most of it."

"I know. Mom, your scar, Pyrrha, this bullshit. You've had it rough. I'm sorry."

"Yeah..."

"I wish I knew how to make it all better with just one wave of a wand or whatever."

"Me too."

"Hey, popsicles are vaguely wand-shaped. You want one of those?"

Ruby smiled into her sister's chest.

"Thanks, Yang, but I'm good. I don't want to ruin my dinner."

"Be our little secret."

"And Ren's." She pointed out, flicking her hair over to the man who was still sweating bullets, trying to contain Yang's inevitable and uncontrollable anger. Her sister's tone shifted.

"Yeah, his too. Although he doesn't seem the type to snitch. About anything."

"Are you mad at him for not telling you?"

"Him, Blake, and Pyrrha, but I'll let bygones be bygones. Can't change the past. Not like Blake even makes an effort to call me anymore."

"I can get her to, if you want."

"Nah, it's fine, baby. All that's important now is making you feel better, not me."

"Wait, when Ren lets you go, are you gonna be angry?"

"I am. But I can't not be angry. He hurt you, and I can't just sit here and let it slide, hun."

"Oh."

"But I'm not going to let those three months define you. I promise I won't go after him, if that's what you're worried about."

"I-I was, kinda."

Yang shook her head, brushing her face with some of the long, beautiful blond locks.

"No, going after him would be childish. And impulsive. And probably illegal, with what I want to do to him."

"What's that?"

"It involves my fist, and since I don't want you exposed to any graphic content, I won't say any more."

"I-I see."

"But I don't recommend going after him. Not you, not me, not anyone. It's not smart."

She bit her lip. Uh oh.

Well, this has gone well, hasn't it?

Sure, if you wanted to call this 'going well'.

"It's... not?"

Yang pulled back and looked her up and down, her face contorting.

"Ruby, what did you do?"

She shrugged, sheepishly.

"I-I... asked Ren to help me out. And he said he'd send someone to deal with him."

Even through the might of Ren's semblance, Yang turned her head and glared at the top of his head with enough force to melt his very flesh.

"You sent mercenaries?!"

"No, he said he talked to his one of his old friends!" She tried to clarify. Granted, he'd never given her a name or billing address or anything to go on. Yang flipped the look back over to her.

"Ruby, that always means mercenaries! God, you guys! Ugh! No!"

Her head lolled back and she stared at the ceiling.

"Poopy. Well... ugh... I wish you hadn't done that."

Yang rarely swore. She used to, quite heavily back at school, but had stopped near the end of fourth year. She'd felt bad about swearing at Ruby that day, and had since promised never to do it again. She never wanted Ruby to look at her the way she had ever again. But today, it seemed appropriate.

"Fuck."

"I'm sorry, Yang."

"No, it's... ugh, whatever. You've got a plan, right?"

"It's his plan, actually."

"God, I fucking hate you, Ren. You might be pretty, but fuck you're stupid."

With a huff, he finally looked back up at them. The strain in his face was ever prevalent.

"Don't... worry." he panted. "She's not... gonna kill him."

"She?" Yang questioned.

"I have... a plan."

"You better."

"I... prom...mise..." he strained, as Yang by no means made it easy for him. She turned away from him and pulled Ruby back against her chest.

"You can let go now, Ren."

"But Yang, you're gonna be mad if he does."

She nodded.

"I know. I'm prepared for it. I'm always gonna be mad about it, Ruby. I'm always going to be upset, be hurt, feel shame, feel anguish."

A hand rubbed gently at the back of her head.

"But that's one of my flaws, you know. Being human."

"Okay. I trust you."

"Thank you, Ruby. Ren?"

With a heavy sigh as he released every muscle in his body, he finally let go of her wrist. The colour flooded back into the room like a wave of warmth that washed over everything. Ren flopped over onto the floor, his chest heaving and his breath coming out in ragged bursts. He was down for the count. And the second round, if honest. The whole of his aura, spent on keeping Yang from detonating like a small thermal explosive. Although, Ruby was quickly realizing that the warmth of the colour returning to the room was actually her sister.

Who'd caught fire.

Her hair was glowing yellow, as it normally did when she lost her temper. Her eyes, the usual matching scarlet red. Ruby let go and scooted backwards on the couch, trying to avoid being burned. Or having her not-fireproofed clothes burnt off. She had to pat off her chest, as the front of her coveralls had started to singe. And burning denim wasn't exactly the nicest smell in the world.

"Yang?"

"It's fine, baby. I'm just angry. I'll get over myself in a minute."

She paused and closed her eyes. With a deep breath, the flames subsided substantially, becoming a slow ember that encapsulated just the top of her head, her little cowlick posing like a candle wick She opened her eyes, revealing her eyes that had faded to a medium pink, somewhere between harsh red and soft purple. Very pretty, in her opinion, despite the fact that she still couldn't get over seeing her sister combusting.

"There. Not great, but better."

"Oh."

"I have an idea, honey."

"What's that?"

Yang stood, brushing off her lap. She extended her hand, which Ruby took.

"Let's go for a visit."

"O-okay."

Ruby let herself be pulled to her feet. They left for the kitchen, stepping carefully over Ren's nearly unconscious body.

"Hey, buddy, there's water in the fridge if you want some."

His arm came up with a loose thumbs up. It flopped back down loudly against the living room floor. Yang chuckled down at him.

"We'll be back in a bit. C'mon, kiddo."

"Bye, Ren!"

They departed, stepping through the kitchen and out through the sliding glass door into the backyard. Their dad was across the yard, pushing the dirty old police cruiser down the driveway and into the big garage out behind the house. A sudden wave of disappointment in herself washed over Ruby as she realized that she'd left him alone to unload the car off the ramp truck. She spoke up as they approached the fence that separated the yard from the driveway.

"H-hey, do you need our help with that?"

He smiled back at them, leaning against the trunk.

"Hey girls! Nah, I'm good. The battery died just as I rolled it off, and as it turns out, we don't have any spare batteries lying around."

"Gee, dad, and you didn't think to boost off one of the many running vehicles we own?" Yang teased. Their father took it in stride, his bright smile almost contagious.

"I could, or I could just push the car twenty feet to the garage. Where are you girls headed today?"

"Thought we'd take the old bike and go for a visit." she said with a wink, hopping the fence with a bound. Ruby followed her over without even touching the fence with her hands.

His expression stiffened.

"Oh. Well, alright. Wear your helmets. Please."

"Yes, dad."

She gave him an affectionate slap on the shoulder as they passed him by and entered the garage. Strew all about were the parts Ruby had pulled off the old truck that was up on the hoist, sans its engine and transmission. All the parts of which were literally on every flat surface. Some where even on surfaces that weren't flat. But they weren't here to visit the old truck today, they were here for something else. Equally dusty, for sure, and even older, but with a whole lot more personality. Yang pulled her to the back of the shop, unlit by the worklights.

And there she sat.

Under a crummy throw rag, mixed in with a bunch of old cardboard boxes and leaning against the garage's back wall, was the old motorcycle. But not just any old motorcycle. The old motorcycle. A bike that had gotten Yang started on riding when she was only four years old, started her obsession with two-wheeled fun. Made Ruby into the master mechanic she was today. This bike meant everything to the two girls, so much so that their dad could never bring himself to sell it. Well, that and it belonged to his late wife.

Yang pulled the sheet off of it, sending a huge cloud of dust into the air. Ruby pulled the edge of her shirt up over her nose to try and keep the dust out as it settled on everything else around. The seventy-year-old motorcycle sat quietly against the wall, the once polished chrome parts reflecting the lights in the garage. She was old, but she was beautiful. Ruby forced herself not to gush over their mom's bike. But she loved it. She'd learned about carburetors on this bike, gear ratios, spring rates. She'd learned to re-wire a magneto coil, a skill completely defunct in the time of electronic control systems and alternating current. She could freely admit that the red and black design of her very own Crescent Rose had been partially inspired by the old red motorcycle. It was beautiful.

"Well, there she is. Gorgeous, isn't she?"

"Yeah..." Ruby mused, taking it in.

Yang approached the bike, and very carefully pulled the bike off the wall with the tall handlebars and pushed it forward, turning it so she could straddle it.

"Right, lets see if you want to play today."

She reached up under the back of the seat and turned the key, which was still there, surprisingly. With her left foot, she kicked the stand down and layed the bike's weight on it. The old chopper groaned as the old catch spring released. Ruby was suddenly reminded of her old truck, sitting in her driveway back in Atlas. Old, crotchety, and red.

Yang flipped out the starting lever with her heel and ratcheted it down a few times until it caught on a hard spot. The compression point of the motor. Yang pulled the clutch handle in with her left hand and stood up, placing all her weight on the starting lever. She looked over at Ruby.

"Think it'll crank?"

"I dunno, who was the last person who worked on it?"

"You were, honey."

"Then it will."

Yang smiled. "I like your self-confidence. Cover your ears, honey. This might be loud."

"Oh, I'm fully awa-"

Yang jumped down on the lever, spinning the motor over. Like an entire battalion of cannonfire, the old V-twin exploded into life, shaking the entire garage and ridding itself of all the dust that had fallen on the old metal gas tank. Yang quickly sat down on the seat and reached under the tank to pull the choke back in, and the motor, while still deafening, quieted down. Ruby's ears were ringing. She should have listened the first time, since she was now incapable of listening at all.

"It's so loud!" Yang shouted. "How did mom ever ride this to school?!"

"I dunno!" She yelled back. "Maybe she wore earplugs!"

Yang shrugged, kicking the transmission into neutral and setting the bike back down on it's kickstand to let it warm up. It was a real feat, this old Hog still running after never really riding in twenty actual long years. The bike had been their mom's from school, being her daily driver, or rather rider, for three or four years. The story went that she bought it at a flea market from an old biker in a sweet leather jacket for a couple hundred lien in what he considered 'running condition'. It wasn't running at that time. He'd lied. And no one had thought the tiny and stocky Summer Rose would fit on a bike with tall, chopper-style handle bars either, so she bought it just to show them up. Even for her sister, who stood a fair five or six inches taller than their mom was barely comfortable behind the tall controls.

"Grab that jacket and helmet and hop on, kiddo."

"This one?" she asked, pointing to the dirty glass cabinet against the wall.

"Yeah, c'mon."

"But... this is mom's coat..."

Yang dismounted the bike, scooching over to her. Her face softened, even with the loud motor trying to rip their ears off right next to them. She pulled the cabinet open slowly, and reached for the hangar. The old red leather creaked as it was pulled from the equally old fitted suit hanger, each wrinkle and crease making its own unique little squeak. She handed it over, and Ruby took it from her with very nervous hands.

"B-but..."

"You need to wear a coat when you're riding, babe. Safety first." Yang said, plopping their mother's helmet onto Ruby's head and briefly obscuring her vision. "And if anyone's gonna wear that coat, it's gonna be you."

Ruby nodded slowly, and very carefully put her arms in the sleeves. They were a tighter fit than she was expecting, but by no means too tight. Her own leather coat, a birthday gift from Yang, was all loose and free in the sleeves but tight around the body. This one was tight all over, pulling the leather taught and smooth, giving her an new-school-old-school look. It was a very nice jacket. The offset zipper was a little confusing, though.

"Here, let me-" Yang said, turning and grabbing the helmet's buckle under her chin and doing it up. She'd gotten her own bright yellow helmet on somehow in the last thirty seconds without her noticing. "There you go. You ready to ride?"

"Don't you need your coat?"

"Nah, I'm fine."

"But what if you fall off?"

"Honey, I absorb kinetic energy, remember? I'll be fine without one."

"Oh, yeah." she said, making a face at her.

Yang turned back around and mounted the bike again, righting it and settling in to the deep leather saddle. She wiggled the handlebars again, trying to work a kink out of her shoulder. She turned, and patted the rear seat up on the back fender.

"Hop on."

And Ruby did, slinging her leg over and putting her weight down on it, trying to keep her legs away from the chrome exhaust pipes that ran the length of the bike's right flank. The heat coming from them was strong enough to penetrate her work boots and her coveralls, so she was wary of what they might do to an exposed ankle. Like Yang's, for example.

"I thought you were supposed to wear boots while riding." she shouted into Yang's ear. Yang chuckled and leaned her head back to respond.

"Don't worry about it. Sneakers are good enough. You holding on?"

Ruby put her arms around her sister's midsection and linked her fingers together.

"Uh huh."

Yang twisted the throttle a few times, a huge explosion of sound ripping through the garage.

"Then let's go!"

She eased out on the clutch in her fingers, and the bike eased its way through the garage, around the hoist and Ruby's tookboxes. Again, she rolled onto the throttle and pulled them forward and out of the garage, weaving around their dad and the police car, who waved at them with that concerned parent face on. Ruby waved back, quick to grab hold of Yang again so she didn't fall off the seat. They reached the end of the driveway, and with two more obnoxious twists of the throttle, pulled onto the road and got up to speed.

The wind in her hair was lovely as Yang banged up through the gears. Or, what wind made it around Yang and to the hair out the bottom of her helmet, of course.

They were going for a visit.

They'd be expected. And for once, Ruby didn't feel so bad about it.

Mom would be happy to see them.


	37. Chapter 37: Punching and Kicking

**Chapter 74**

The air out on the training ground was warm, but not excessively hot. A nice, late October day, actually. Her new windbreaker kept the little breeze that there was out of her body, but she'd have been fine in just her fancy new grey Atlas Strong army shirt, given to her by her sister. It was the first time she'd ever had a _breathable_ cotton t-shirt. The thick camo-coloured cargo pants had been her sister's idea as well, along with the matching boondockers. Not her usual style, by any means, but fitting for what she was doing.

And who she was meeting.

She could see him off in the distance of the training ground, sitting at a picnic bench with a few assault rifles set out in front of him. Not that she'd have missed him, he was enormous. The ginger hair was a beacon of colour as well, a stark contrast from his dark green military uniform and boots. After being out of school for so long, she'd mostly forgotten what her classmates had looked like, and this was no exception. The only people she'd kept close tabs on where Ren and Ruby, seeing as he was a close business associate and she was basically her neighbour. Well, by twenty-seven kilometres. But that was closer than literally everyone else by a factor of eighty.

He stood up when he saw her, marching across the training grounds to where she'd been instructed to meet him. His smile was as wide as his shoulders, and he set down one of the rifles he was in the middle of field stripping to hold his arms wide.

"Little Weiss!" he called, making her flinch.

"Sargent Winchester, good morning." she said back. She still wasn't sure how she felt about the large boy. He _did_ have a history.

"Oh, come now," there was disappointment in his voice. "You were always so cold, why must you greet me this way?"

She stopped just short of him. He held out a hand for her to shake, and after a moment of hesitation, she extended hers as well, his _ma-husive_ paws absolutely miniturizing hers. His handshake was stiff but solid, like Ren's but with the texture of sandpaper. Made her realize that her business associate used probably more moisturizer than _she_ did.

"I am here for a reason, and I'd appreciate your co-operation, Sargent."

"Man, you're a real tough egg to break, aren't you?"

"It's to _crack,"_ she corrected. "The saying is 'tough egg to _crack'."_

He let go of her hand, a beaming smile still on his face.

"I take that back. You're no egg, you're a vault door. A very _small_ vault door, however."

She straightened her back and scoffed. Whatever intimidation she was trying to go for was wasted on him, seeing as he stood close to twenty inches taller than she did. And weighed close to triple what she did.

"I am _not_ small."

"Atlesian average for women is five-six."

"This is how tall I am, so please refrain from mocking me, Sargent Winchester."

"You can call me Cardin, you know."

She turned her face away. "It's a sign of respect to be referred to by rank, is it not?"

He rubbed the back of his head sheepishly.

"Well, yeah, but when it's your friends, or when you're on furlough, first names are fine. This isn't Vacuo, you don't have to call me by my last name exclusively."

"Yes, but-"

"Actually, if this _was_ Vacuo, and since I think I'm older than you if I remember correctly, you should be calling me Winchester-Senpai, actually. If my wife's preferred reading material is to be believed."

Weiss's face flushed red, and she recoiled into herself, pressing a hand to her chest.

"Excuse _you,_ Sargent Winchester, I _never-"_

He ignored her protest and turned around. "Come, come, sit down. Have a chat with me, my dear."

My dear? _My dear?!_ She was fully red in the face. How absolutely dare he? Though she didn't quite want to disobey an order from the army, she didn't _really_ feel like listening to the huge brute of a man who disrespected her so easily.

So she followed his instructions and sat down at the picnic bench, behind a few hundred pounds of brass and stamped steel he'd layed out on the table. She frowned.

"I thought you were going to teach me hand-to-hand combat, not shooting."

"You thought right, I had these here for me from before you arrived."

Weiss looked at her watch. "But it's eight in the morning! How long have you been here?"

"Since about four-thirty." he replied, picking up one of the rifles. Her mouth fell open.

"Wha-"

"Military time, my dear. Military discipline." He held up the rifle to her. "Do you know what this is?"

"Uh, a sub-compact anti-material carbine?"

"Chambered in?"

"Uh, seven-six-two by thirty-nine?"

"Correct! I'm surprised you knew that."

"My sister works for the army, she talks to me about guns like it's all that matters about life."

He shrugged. "Sounds like someone else you might know."

"You mean Ruby, I assume."

He pointed at her with an empty magazine. "You're very good at this. Now, can you tell me what's wrong with this gun?"

He passed it over the table and into her arms. The gun was heavier than she expected, but she was 'used' to lightweight milled aluminum and carbon fibre furniture, quite different from the stamped steel and wood construction of the rifle. With a taught flick of her wrist, out came the folding wood stock and locking into place, she took a peer down the gun's iron sights.

"I'm not-" she held it up again, and pulled back on the left-side charging handle, letting it spring shut. "Wait..."

She cycled the bolt a few times, trying to pull the trigger. The hammer never clicked forward, no matter how many times she sent the gun into what she thought was battery. With a frustrated grunt, she slammed her palm against the charging handle. It clicked forward, passed a blockage. She frowned.

"There's something jammed in it?"

She handed the weapon back over to him, and he immediately pulled the two takedown pins and separated the weapon into two halves.

"I thought so too," he said, pulling the gas plunger out of the tube. "I thought it was leftover sludge and metal slag from overuse in the discharge tube, but it's clear and polished. Then I thought it had to be the sled with a bent roller or something since it's getting stuck back."

"Wait, I thought that Atlas uses the AWS 63G assault rifles, like these." she said, confused all of a sudden. She gestured to one of the other, sleeker, newer guns on the table.

"We do, this isn't army issue, it's from my personal collection." He held up the gun again, giving it a pleased smile. "This weapon was used in the Faunus Revolutionary War, manufactured here in Anima _for_ the resistance forces. See here?"

He held up the gun, twisting it so the bottom of the foregrip was visible. Something had been carved into the wood, and varnished by hand.

" _Vive la Revolution!"_ he said, his accent surprisingly sharp. "This weapon was owned by an infantryman by the name of Etienne Tout-Blanche, a man no older than you or I, and a brave soldier."

"How would you know who owed a gun in a war? Weren't there millions of them?"

"It was a sign of honour in the Faunus forces to have your name engraved in the receiver." He again flipped the gun over to the right side, showing off the engraving work just below the fire selector switch. Done by hand, of course, but with surprising accuracy for what looked like work done with a dremel. "And this soldier, showed honour. Having your name on your gun meant you had meaning after you died, because whoever picked up _your_ gun was also picking up _your_ fight and continuing _your_ legacy."

"That's... surprisingly romantic."

"I know, I thought so too."

"How'd _you_ come by his weapon, then?"

"It was for sale at a gun store for like, two hundred lien. Absolutely disrespectfully low price. Someone else was going to buy it just to use as a range bitch and destroy it without ever learning the history of it. So I _had_ to buy it and restore the old gun and make memory of Lieutenant Tout-Blanche."

Weiss sniffed and crossed her arms.

"Why would you care about a weapon from the Revolutionary War?"

"Well, when you fall in love with a faunus, marry her, and spend so much time listening to her talk about the history of her people, you get a little interested in that subject. And being a man of military honour, I thought it necessary to combine the two and have a beautiful piece like this. I've never actually fired the gun yet, today was gonna be my first time, but as you can see..."

"It doesn't work."

"No, ma'am."

"That why it was so cheap?"

Cardin shrugged his massive shoulders. "Probably. But more than likely it's because these were produced for so long and in such huge numbers."

"Did you go out looking specifically for a soldier's gun?"

"No, I originally passed the gun up since it was so beat up, but after doing a little research on the name on the side of the gun and the history of, I stood up from the kitchen table, said 'Vel, I have to go buy a gun', and left the house to go buy it."

A small smile crossed her face.

"Well, that's a contrast to what I know about you."

"Oh yeah? What, you assumed I was still the big commanding bully from high school all these years later?"

"W-well, Ruby _has_ said some pretty nice things about you, but I guess I'm still being a little presumptuous."

"You know, don't worry about it, most people still think the same way. Big guy, history of violence, resting bitch face, I don't blame you."

"I do apologize."

" _Ce n'est pas une probleme,_ Weiss. Even my wife took a while to warm up to me."

She turned a look to him.

"I didn't know you spoke Mistrali."

"There's a lot of things you don't know about me."

"You know, I'm actually quite impressed."

He chuckled. "Thank you. I like to think that my strength is not the only impressive part about me, but also my glowing personality."

Weiss rolled her eyes. "You haven't proved that quite yet, Sargent."

He stood from the table, unaffected by her jabs. How he could just let each word she said roll off of him as if it had been in jest was equal parts impressive and infuriating. Like a brick wall of relaxation and cheerfulness. He gestured for her to stand up as well, and she did, following him back over to the training area. He'd drawn a large square in the dirt with spray paint, with a traffic cone at each corner.

"Step into the ring, and I'll see if I can change that."

His smile remained. She rolled out her neck and did as instructed, walking in to a corner of the 'ring'. She stretched out her arms, pulling her left arm across her chest with her right arm, then doing the other.

"Alright, how are going to start?" she asked.

"First," he said, pointing in her direction as he pulled a set of fingerless workout gloves on. "Are you gonna keep the coat on or not?"

"Uh, I guess I should take it off?"

"Better if you do. Better freedom of movement. And you'll be sweating like a pig in about ten minutes."

She shrugged, and stripped off the coat and hung it neatly on the orange cone she was standing in front of. She too pulled on a set of gloves that she'd had in her coat.

"Okay, I-"

"Wear these." he said, tossing two of something in her direction. She caught them and held them up.

"What's this?"

"Bracers. Stops your wrists from snapping."

"Oh! Is that something I should be worrying more about?"

Another shrug as he pulled on a set of his own. "Depends who you're fighting. It's good for training, especially against stronger targets."

"Does Ruby wear these into battle?"

"Those are actually hers. I found them in her locker back at the barracks. Helps her with weapon handling and parachuting."

Weiss's breath hitched in her throat. Ruby's bracers? _Ruby's?_ Could she even wear these? Very slowly she pulled them on, realizing quickly that Ruby's forearms were quite a bit thicker than hers, having to pull the straps tighter by two holes on the buckles. She readjusted her hands in the gloves, flexing her fists and forearms to get the garments to sit properly.

"Okay. they're on." she breathed, a little shaky. "Why were you in Ruby's locker, though?"

"She takes her lock home with her when she's not on duty, and she has a habit of leaving stuff in it. I take it and store it for her so no one steals anything of hers."

"Awfully kind of you, Cardin."

"I do what I can for my unit, and for my friends."

"I appreciate that. And I'm sure they do as well." She put herself into a fighting stance, loose but assured. "So, how are we to start?"

Cardin didn't change his position, keeping his hands on his hips. "Well, not like that, for sure."

"Excuse me?"

"Your stance is already wrong."

She stood up straight, trying to not let annoyance fill her voice. "No, it's not!"

"Okay, no, it's correct according to the Atlesian guerrilla warfare stance favoured by the ASF, but you're not going in to battle against bandits and terrorists. I assume you were trained by your sister?"

"I was."

"Do you know how tall your own sister is?"

"Six-two?"

"Yes. That fighting stance is made for people who's opponents are as tall as or shorter than they are. It protects the chest and stomach over the face." He copied the stance, using one hand to demonstrate each of the weak points and guarded parts. "See, here and here. Not so protected. Not great if you're fighting someone with longer legs than you."

"So, what do I do instead?"

"Try something like a Vacuan boxing stance." He changed his stance, lowering his shoulders and bring his hands up to his face. "Put one foot further forward than normal, bring your guard down towards your hips, like so."

Weiss attempted to copy him, pushing out her right leg and crunching up her stomach. "Like this?"

"That's better." He stood up, and closed the distance between them. "See, what you've done there is shorten the distance between your elbows," he tapped her on the knee. "And your legs, which makes your stomach a much smaller target. You've also made that target _deeper,_ meaning your opponent has to come further into your guard to hit you. And the further they come into _you_ guard, the further into _theirs_ you can get. Make sense?"

Weiss shrugged. "I guess?"

"Good." Cardin returned to his spot on the square. "Now, with what part of your arm should you block with? Say from where I am, I'm going to punch you. How do you block?"

"With my forearm, brought up to the punch."

"Sure, sure. Do what you just said."

She brought up her arm up to block an imaginary right hook, holding it in place as he approached to scrutinize. He stood for a moment, before reaching out and grabbing her blocking arm at the wrist.

"You mean, block here, right? With your wrist?"

"Yeah, is that not right?"

Without another word, he rotated his hand, and brought her arm with it, across the front of her body. She winced and pulled back out of his grasp.

"Ow!"

"See the problem?"

"Yeah, you're a dick!"

A smirk. "No, you just blocked with the wrong part of your arm. Using your wrist and forearm provide too much leverage for your opponent, and you arm can just be rotated away, rendering the block useless."

"But... my sister said-"

"She fights with kicks and swords, meaning that she's already expending rotational energy. Blocking a kick with your forearm is different than blocking a punch. A kick is already at the end of the torque arm since the leg is straight, so it's better to block it with your forearm so you can quickly grab the leg."

"So I should block with what, my shoulder?"

"Ideally, yeah actually. But that puts you too close to your opponent in practice, so we substitute our shoulder with our elbow." he brought his arm up to demonstrate, slapping himself on the outer edge of his bicep. "The closer you can catch the blow to your shoulder, the more force it takes to move your arm out of place, and the more assured the block will be. So when you block, roll you fist in towards your ear like so and point at your opponent with your elbow."

She tried. "Like this?"

"Much better." he stepped in and grabbed her by the elbow. "See how much firmer the guard is? You could stop a tank with these biceps now."

"Thank you?"

He laughed. "Right, well, hopefully you'll not have to use such a block very often. You'll find more often then not that a palm-down block is more effective against your particular target."

"Wh-what do you mean, what is that?"

"Palm-down is a slap."

She paused. "What?"

"The kind of hook-swing, around the head, theatrical punches you see in the movies aren't used very often in the real world because they're just that, made for the movies. Sure, you can block them no problem, but the punches coming from a man who knows how to fight will be different."

"How so?"

He got back into stance, and lined up his fists. "Because a proper punch is a roll-through affair. Keep the elbows in, and roll the punch over and forward, not around. Uses the triceps and pecs instead of the shoulder muscles. You get a significantly more powerful hit with the roll-through."

"So why would you teach me how to block the other kind of hit then?"

"For kicks."

She scoffed. "Just for your entertainment?!"

"No, dummy, for when you get kicked in the head."

"Oh." she recoiled a little. "So, how do I block the other kind of hit?"

"Like I said, palm down and away." he stepped towards her. "Here, fists up again, I'll show you what I mean."

She followed his instructions.

"Right, roll your fist out from your face like you were going to punch me."

"Okay..." she held her arm straight out in front of her.

"Now, I am going to hit your hand with a fair bit of force, so be prepared to be thrown off balance a little." he said, lining up in front of her. She nodded her approval, to which he swung his hand down at hers, knocking it across her front and rotating her body down and away with a yelp. "See which way you just turned?"

"Hey, not so hard!"

"Fighting is hard. Get used to it. Now, did you see which way I made your body turn?"

Weiss was still pointing away with her arm. "Uh..."

"This is a cross-over slap, sending the impact from your opponent's punch across his own chest, leaving him no guard to his dominant side, unless he can coil back faster than you can deliver a hit. Now, if you're going to do this, always palm-down with the opposite hand your opponent is using for the hit, left for right and right for left. This leaves the attacking side open, meaning you can deliver a swift kick to the ribs or punch to the face, whichever you prefer."

"I see."

"Now, the opposite of the palm-down is the palm across, which means slapping down with the same hand they use to attack. This unfortunately leaves you open to a second hit, but from my experience, no matter how trained the opponent, the follow-up shot will _always_ be an off-hand haymaker, that you can elbow-block and then chop down on."

"Why always?"

"Because your opponent's body is now rotated away and guard-open, meaning they have no means of blocking their face since you've widened their guard with the palm-shot. The _only_ shot next is a haymaker because that's the only way their arm can physically move."

"I will make an assumption and say you used to box?"

"Five years, Atlas army intramural championship. Even bested your sister."

Her eyebrows wandered upwards. "That's not possible."

"Sure it is, she's actually pretty easy to beat when she's not allowed to use her semblance. There's no way in _hell_ I could move as fast as she does, so we fight in the Anti-Chamber. It saps us of semblance and makes it so we fight like civilians. No powers, just skill."

"That's... a neat piece of technology."

"Yeah, it's meant for training. The Vacuan military developed it, we just bought a couple. If you ever want to know just how badly out of shape you _actually_ are, try doing a workout without having aura to replenish your muscles almost as fast as you can injure them. You ever wonder why we never get tired?"

"Because of aura."

"Yep. So when we're _without_ it, we're weak as hell."

"Huh." She pondered his statement for a moment. "Any way we can weaponize _that?"_

"Not sure we'd need to. The Grimm don't have an aura to deplete."

She waved the thought off. "No, nevermind, it's not important. Please, Cardin, keep teaching. I won't interrupt again."

"R-right, anyways, shall we continue, then?"

"Please."

"Okay, so your opponent will stand about six foot three or four, not quite as tall as me, but almost, and certainly a lot taller than you. You're gonna have to get quite a long way inside his guard circle if you want to hit him. How much do you know about kick-boxing?"

"I trained in fencing and grappling as a girl, never anything with punching or kicking. I relied a little heavily on my sword during school."

"That's fine, we can learn you up. Fighting with a weapon will be your most likely course of action against him anyways, since he won't be very likely to drop his sword. And that makes his guard circle _even_ bigger."

She flinched. "Then how the hell do I get anywhere close to punching him?"

He pointed at her with a sly smile.

"That's what I'm going to teach you."

/.../

She brought her arm up, curling her fist back to protect the side of her head and using her right hand to brace her arm, deflecting the _heavy_ right hook from the large gentleman. A left-hook followed swiftly after, and she was quick to crouch down and under it, letting it sail over her head. Not one to be thrown off balance, Carding turned to the left and let his leg fly out to the side, aimed squarely at her sternum.

And move any slower than she had, and it would have connected, she though as she brought both hands down together on his ankle, pushing his foot back down towards the ground. This left his left flank exposed, and she jumped at the opportunity, driving a swift right kick towards his kidneys. His left arm twisted and caught her by the ankle and snapped it away. Bringing it back down, she twisted and sent a left kick towards his face. An easy hit to block, but that was what she was going for. He caught the top of her boot with his forearms, bouncing her off like her leg was a bamboo shoot.

"Bad move, Weiss, that leaves you open to-"

She silenced him with a left drive to his cheek, which he only _barely_ brought his hands up to block.

" _Woah!_ I'm impressed! I almost caught a hit there!"

She tried a right shot, her fist catching the inside of his palm. She pulled back fast enough to be not be thrown off balance.

"That's what I'm trying to do!"

"I know, keep going, keep going!"

She hadn't landed a hit on him once in the last hour or so. To her credit, neither had he. Her arms ached from the impacts of Cardin's punches and kicks being deflected off them. Ruby's bracers had protected her wrists from being snapped in two. He may not have been her sister, who's kicks could shatter concrete, but he was certainly close.

"Can I ask a question?" she asked, flipping sideways and re-positioning.

He caught two of her punches easily. "Yeah, of course."

"Why did you-" she blocked what might have shattered her ribs. " _Woah!_ -bully him? If he was already one himself?"

She sent a rather acrobatic kick towards his face, which bounced harmlessly off his palm. "You know, I'm not so sure anymore." His fist came around, and she had to use her knee to block the incoming hit instead of her arm, as it was almost worn-out. "I think I saw something within him that made me angry."

"Angry?" She tried two more roll-through punches into his chest. Both were palmed-down.

"Yeah, I think I could feel the bad things inside his character, and that made _me_ angry. I was bullied at home by my brothers because I was small and weak, and I figured I needed to do that to him as well."

She scoffed, catching his fist on her forearms as his came for her head. " _You_ were the small one? How's that possible?"

"My family is huge. Trust me, I'm small comparatively. Vel doesn't like visiting my family during the holidays because she feels miniature."

"Shit, eh?" She ducked away under a powerful left-hook. "So you bullied Jaune because you could see he was a bad person?"

"No, I couldn't see that, but I knew in my heart that he wasn't quite along the straight and narrow. I could see the way you four seemed to dislike his attention, yours being vocal and Red's being more..."

"Implicit?"

"Yeah, I don't know. I sometimes feel that he took his anger out on her because of me. And that made me feel like he needed even more punches to the stomach."

Weiss bounced back to her corner and stood up all the way. "...Jeez."

Cardin huffed and wiped his brow off, standing up straight and stretching his back out with a pop. "I like to think I was doing the right thing, though."

"Bullying for justice?"

"Yeah, something like that. Bad people usually don't respond to anything except violence. I remember once telling him I would snap his neck if he even so much as touched her, and then out of nowhere he stopped going near her."

Weiss cocked her head at him. "So... _you_ stopped him from... doing that?"

"I don't know. I just know that he made me angry." His voice wavered a little, getting irritated. He sighed. "Sorry, I shouldn't raise my voice. You're doing the right thing, wanting to bring him in like this."

Weiss sighed. She was _sore. "_ I certainly hope so."

"You are. It's better this way."

"Why can't you face him?"

He shrugged, and shambled back over tho the picnic bench slowly. "I couldn't. He's a member of the military. It would be an abuse of power and I could get dishonourably discharged. Not to mention, I'm not certain I'd survive that encounter. Two things my wife wants me to avoid."

She looked him up and down as she sat down at the table as well. "Well, fuck, if _you_ aren't going to survive, how the hell am _I_ supposed to survive?"

"Because _you_ have a plan, so Ren tells me. And _you_ have prepared and trained, and have allies on your side. I don't. I have my wife, and that's pretty much it. So we're trusting _you_ to bring him to justice. To bully the bully I couldn't. Sweet roll?"

"I understand." She took the frosted bun from him. It was warm and delicious. "Fanks."

"We'll get you built up into a weapon in the next few weeks."

She sighed, drooping her head, realizing this meant _more_ physical torture.

"Great. Looking forward to it."

/.../

"Well, if it isn't my favourite rapscallion!" she shouted across the wide football field.

"Who, me?" the man said back, turning to face her as she approached. "You can't mean me, I'm no rapscallion! You must be referring to someone else!"

She picked up her pace, starting to jog over. The stadium was vast, and vastly empty, save for one man in the centre of the field, surrounded by sports equipment. She followed along a painted line to were he stood, eagerly awaiting her arrival.

"I dunno, you look pretty rapscallion-like to me, big guy. You sure you don't know the guy I'm looking for?"

"Fairly certain."

She closed the distance, skipping to a stop in front of him. His hand came out of his pocket, and hers swung swiftly around to meet it, slapping across his palm with a resounding _clap._ She followed this up with the back of her hand to his, curling her hand into a fist and popping it against the now-curled fist of his own. They twisted, opposite each other, so their knuckles intertwined, pulling away and fluttering their fingers. Up came his elbow, and hers came up to meet it, almost missing but finding a reasonably solid purchase as they again collided. With a flourish, their hands came back down and their thumbs caught on both hands, arms crossed, as an impromptu thumb-war broke out for a moment, before they separated.

And as the grand finale, and with as masculine a grunt as she could muster, their chests came together with a hearty but clothy _whump._ Weiss had to jump a little higher than he did, having a full ten inch height handicap compared to her lofty associate. As she landed, she stumbled back a step, rubbing her sternum and wincing.

"Y'all right?" he asked, placing his hands on his hips.

"Yeah, yeah. They're just a little sore."

"Puberty hit a second time?"

She gave a single, dry laugh. "Very funny, but no. I took up boxing with Cardin."

"So I heard."

"After a few hours, you start taking hits just to get a little closer to him. So I'm a little beat."

"Jeez, you can still _stand_ after his punches?"

"Why, you ever box with him?"

He shrugged. "Well, no, but I _have_ met him. His biceps are like, three feet around!"

"Yeah, you just kinda shrug them off because otherwise you get sent into and then _through_ the ropes. You just gotta take it."

"Wow, you're tougher than I gave you credit for. Like, significantly."

"You saying I'm weak, monkey-boy?"

"No, not at all, I'm saying he's _lethal,_ and you're not a huntsman."

"I _am!"_ she said, taking mock offence and placing a hand to her chest.

"Show me your license."

"...touche."

"I mean, I know you went to all four years of school and all, but you technically didn't finish. Neither did Blake, Yang, or Ruby, though."

"Ruby became a huntress anyway."

Sun nodded. "True, but that's because she was drafted into a military outside the borders of her home country, so the jurisdiction of the Vale Department of Education couldn't do anything about it when the General of the Atlas military signed a license form for her. She's a special case. The three of you, my wife included, would have to go back to school for another year to get officiated."

"That sucks. I don't want to go back to school."

He shrugged.

"Guess you'll never be a huntress, then."

"Oh."

"I mean, unless you can find someone who'd give you their license, sign it into your name, and allow you to do illegal shit, you're kinda screwed."

A thought popped into her head. "Are _you_ licensed?"

"Yeah, but it's expired."

Her shoulders dropped. So much for _that_ idea.

"Oh. How does one get re-certified?"

He rubbed his nose. "Join the army."

"Guess Blake doesn't want you to do that."

"No, most certainly not. I'm away enough as it is. And I'm not sure she'd be okay with me putting myself in danger like that."

"Guess not. Which military would you join, though? Mistral or Vacuo?"

"Probably Vacuo. I'm still a citizen from there, I actually still don't have a Mistralian passport. So I'm not sure they'd welcome me with open arms, a foreign citizen, into their kinda racist military."

She frowned, turning back to him. "Racist? What, because you're a faunus? Surely, you can't be serious."

"No, being a faunus in Mistral is the least of my problems. Human-faunus equality is actually really high across Anima. It's more because I'm from Vacuo that they'd have a problem with."

"...Why?"

He pointed to his face. "Slanty eyes. Seen as low-class."

Her own eyes narrowed, almost to match his. " _Really,_ in this day and age, we're still discriminating against people from different countries?"

"I'm afraid so. I mean, I don't really look all that different from most people from Mistral. I'm tall, buff, handsome. I'm damn near a perfect specimen!"

"More like perfect simian."

"Hardy-har, Schnee."

"What, I'm just trying to lighten the mood."

He paused for a moment, before whipping his tail around and smacking her in the side of the head. She chuckled, Attempting to block the next few furry smacks, but the prehensile tail was just too quick and agile for her.

"Alright, alright! I'm sorry, stop hitting me!"

"No. It's a faunus right to hit a Schnee, and like Blake told me to, I'm gonna take every opportunity!"

His tail came around again, but this time she was ready and she caught it in her left hand. "Sun!"

He froze, allowing her to pull his body close to hers by the tail. He gulped, nervous.

"Stop."

"Yes, ma'am."

She let go, and pushed her index finger into his chest and moved him gently backwards. He shivered from just the soft, scary tone in her voice. A smirk fell to her face.

"Thank you."

"Right, no more smacks, I got it."

She nodded her head at him. "As you should. You may hit me only during training. Until then, you keep those miscreant hands to yourself."

She brushed past him, entering the circle painted in the middle of the field and stepping on to the huge, painted logo of the local sports team, a massive cartoonish caricature of an ancient Mistralian warrior, complete with pleated armour and a pike. She stopped in the very centre of the pitch, frowning down at the large picture. And then, fulfilling the dream of every Atlas University student and sports fan, she dug her heels into the grass and proceeded to wipe her feet.

Sun chuckled from behind her, stepping up to her side. "Well, that's kinda rude, don't you think?"

"Down with the Mongols."

"Not a fan?"

She turned a gross frown to him. "A-Dogs for life."

"Certainly explains the sweater." he said, pointing down at the letter jacket-styled long sleeve, bearing the Atlas A-Dogs growling logo.

"Don't tell me you're a Mongols fan. Our friendship ends right here, Wukong."

"No, no, of course not. I didn't go to Mistral State, just Haven. I rented the stadium because one of our sponsors owns it, so it didn't cost me a cent."

She levelled a glare at him. She just needed to be sure.

"Look," he said, backing up and presenting is palms. "I tried to get the A-Dogs stadium in Anfang, but they were using it for pre-season practice so it was closed."

"Mmm, likely story, monkey-boy. You're on thin ice."

He shrugged, a chipper smile befalling him.

"Hey, at least it's not thin _Weiss."_

She paused, mouth agape. After a fairly long ten-second loading time, the jab processed in her brain. She reached out, grabbed Sun's tail, and smacked him across the face with it.

"You! Are not! Yang!" she said between hits, laughing the whole time. She let his tail go, spinning around with a dramatic flick of her hair. "So no puns!"

He stumbled and fell to the ground behind her with a flail and a yelp. "Hey! Don't grab my tail! I can't balance if you do that!"

She turned to face him again, and marched up with an evil grin displayed proudly. "I'll grab you by whatever part of your body most pleases me."

He blinked up at her a few times.

"Is that a promise?"

"Why of course my d-" she caught on to his witty grin. "Hey, wait a minute!"

"You said it, not me, princess. And I'm gonna hold you to that."

"I'm telling your wife on you." Weiss glared down at him. And as if by some miracle of chance, his phone had fallen out of his coat as he had landed, and now rested at her feet. She bent over to pick it up. "In fact..."

"Hey, wait, no nonONONO!" he yelled, his tone becoming increasingly scared as she brought the screen up to her face.

"Why so scared, got some saucy or sappy messages you don't want me rea-" her voice froze in her throat as soon as the little glass screen lit up.

"Drop it!"

She couldn't. She was transfixed. Sun dived for her, but a well raised hand hit his forehead and halted his movement, and kept him out of arms reach of his precious device. She closed her eyes and furrowed her brow.

"...Sun?"

"Please put my phone down."

"Why is that your background."

"She's my _wife!_ I love her!"

For all his strength, he seemed to not be able to get passed her arm.

"Perhaps I should rephrase. Why are her _naked_ _tits_ your background?"

He sputtered. "Buh, she's my _attractive_ wife, and I want to be able to see that everyday, dude! You understand, right?"

She opened one eye. To her relief, a notification from Fumblr had shown up on his screen and covered up the presented female nipples, leaving only Blake's sultry and sly smile and her exposed and scarred midriff and belly button. She sighed and let her arm go limp, making Sun stumble _again_ to the ground and onto her feet.

"No, I understand plenty. I also understand that _coworkers_ and _associates_ might see the screen, so I keep that kind of stuff _personal,_ you goddamn degenerate!"

She kept her tone joking, to ease his suddenly scared look.

"B-but-"

"No buts, and not even hers. You have a notification, here."

She hit him square in the back with his own phone, and watched him squirm and roll over. He grabbed his phone and held it close to his face, opening it and looking at the notification, embarrassment vivid on his face. His expression softened as soon as he opened the app that requested his attention.

"What's with the look?" she prodded, crossing her arms.

"Oh, one of the blogs I follows just updated for the first time in a while. Something you might want to see, actually."

"Is it Blake's porn blog."

He rolled his eyes and stood up. "No. You know what, you've lost privileges. Find Yang's blog on your own."

"Oh, eat a dick."

"I might be flexible," he shot her some finger guns. "I'm not _that_ flexible."

She shivered, and gave him her best 'talk to the hand.'

"Right, come help me set up."

"Okay." she said, following him over to his car, which he'd parked just outside of the centre circle of the grass. Attached to the drawbar was a little trailer, full of supplies and one very long and very thick bar, wrapped tightly in brown high-traction vinyl.

"Grab one end of the bar, will ya?"

She did, watching him hop between the little yellow Bantam off-roader and the front of the trailer basket, having to do an awkward hip-wiggle to not catch himself on the end of the long bar. She came around to the back, squatting down to get her left shoulder under the end of the bar, and preparing her legs to lift the sixteen foot long beam.

"Kay, I'm ready."

"Alright, lift."

She pushed upwards, lifting her end of the bar off the edges of the trailer basket, making sure Sun was getting his end too. It slightly concerned her that he was standing _in_ the trailer and lifting with his hands and not with his shoulder, but she let it slide, thinking he would hop out and shoulder his side.

"Stand still for a sec."

"Wh-why?"

Without explanation or warning, he shoved his end of the bar towards her, the vinyl easily sliding through her grasp and along her shoulder until it was roughly balanced _entirely_ on her. He let go of his and, and suddenly the whole weight of the beam was pushing down on her, making her legs want to buckle.

"Hey!" she panted, teetering wildly. "Grab the end of the fuckin' bar!"

"Nah, you got it, right?"

"Not for very much longer, you cretin!"

She stumble-stepped backwards a few feet, so the end of the bar cleared the trailer, and tilted her load forward so the far end touched the grass. She strained under the weight as the edges dug into her neck.

"Hey, one of us needed to grab these," he said, holding up the beam's support legs.

"We coulda made _two_ trips!"

He shrugged. "Nah." hopping down from the trailer, he grabbed the end of the bar again and lifted it back up so she was forced to play the balancing game a second time. She tried to express her distaste, but she feared dropping the bar or having it land on her.

"Be careful, that thing weighs like three hundred pounds."

"Three hu- wait, seriously?"

"Yeah, it's solid oak with a plywood runner. That falls on you it'll snap your leg in two."

She readjusted, realizing that despite being in pain from the load, the weight wasn't really an issue.

"I'm holding three hundred pounds on my shoulder."

"Yeah?"

"Wow. My workout's paying off. I'd have crumbled before all this."

"Bet you would have. Bring it over here."

She stepped slowly over to the middle of the pitch once more, very careful to not drop the huge beam into the soft dirt and grass and potentially gouge it. Not that gouging the face of the Mistral Mongols logo would be _bad,_ of course. Sun came around the front side of the bar with one of the supports, very carefully slotting the pin into the bottom of the beam and spinning the oversized wingnut until it stopped, giving it a good solid whack for good measure. Weiss let the weight of the bar go forward and onto the legs, giving her shoulder a little bit of reprieve.

"Kay, just one more, hold on."

"I'm holdin'."

He went around back and did the same, and she assisted by lifting the bar up with her arms enough to let him slide the two pieces together. When she finally let go, the bar was fully supported by the two triangle-shaped leg pieces and firmly in the grass.

"There. One more thing. Well, kay, sorry, two more things, and then we can get started."

She followed him back over to the trailer, and he dropped the tailgate into the grass as carefully as he could, despite her insistence he drop it. Only two things remained in the trailer, a tennis ball cannon and a large purple crash mat, both bearing the Atlas Army insignia in spray-painted marks. She assumed they were on loan courtesy of Cardin or her sister, so she didn't question it.

"Grab that end," he said, picking up one of the mat's belted handles in both hands. She stood next to him, and did as she was asked.

"You're not gonna make me carry this by myself too, eh?"

"This mat weighs close to six hundred pounds, I'd be afraid it would crush _me,_ let alone you. Now, pull."

As hard as they could, they yanked the big purple three-foot-thick mat out of the trailer and onto the grass, with quite a lot of heaving and a very minimal amount of ho-ing. The canvas bottom of the mat didn't exactly drag well across the grass, even with the slick coating of morning dew that still hung on it, so it took them a few minutes to get it the twenty or so feet to the beam, and a few more minutes to get it positioned underneath. At fifteen feet long, it sat snugly between the support legs of the bar with little room to spare. She stepped back from the bag and bar.

"The mat's a nice touch, but do you really think I'm gonna fall?"

"Oh, I know you'll fall, I just don't want you to get hurt when you do."

"You know I could catch myself using my glyphs, right?"

He frowned down at her. "I'm training you to rely on your body, not your semblance. You might find yourself without it in this kind of fight."

"That's suspiciously ominous."

He shrugged. "You never know. C'mon, one more thing."

Back over in the trailer, they grabbed the tennis ball cannon and a giant sack full of the little green balls, affectionately labelled in permanent marker as ' _BALL SACK_ ' in what was clearly Sun's messy handwriting. She scoffed as she picked up the ball sack, unable to _not_ smile as she hoisted it over her shoulder.

"So I'm painting a picture in my head of what you want me to do here, and I'm not exactly liking it."

"We'll leave the machine on low for the first little while," he chuckled. "Besides, this is how _my_ dad taught me and my sister, so that's how I thought I'd get through to you too."

"It's not going to hurt, is it?"

"Only if you get hit."

"Are you planning to hit me?"

He put the cannon down in the grass, and she dropped the ball sack down next to it."

"I'm gonna try my hardest."

She smacked him on the shoulder. "Dick. Say, what are you planning to plug this in to? You have a two-hundred foot extension chord hidden in that truck of yours?"

"Eh, you're not far off. Follow."

In the back seat of the little four-by-four was a black steel box, with two alligator clamps on one end and what looked like a standard Valean-style three prong electrical socket on the other. He circled around to the front of the truck, and pulled off the rubber latch that held the hood to the fender. Weiss pulled the latch off on her side and lifted the _RENEGADE-_ stickered hood up and back against the flat windshield, careful to not drop it into the glass.

"Alright, stand back. This might zap a little."

He pulled the rubber caps off the top of the battery posts, and attached the black clamp to the negative terminal. With a squint, and holding his off hand up to guard his face, and Weiss did the same. He very carefully brought the red clamp towards the positive terminal.

" _ **HAA!"**_ he shouted, tossing the cable towards her.

She jumped back, and flinched, flailing and falling to the ground. "Geez, what the fuck, Sun?!"

He laughed, hard enough to stop breathing, as he grabbed the cable and attached it to the terminal. There was no zapping, no electrical arcing, and no noise. She stood up with a huff, straightening out her jacket and hair.

"And exactly _why_ are you a douchebag?"

"For kicks. You falling to the ground amuses me."

She huffed.

"It doesn't amuse _me._ What is that thing?"

"A power inverter. Turns twelve volt battery power into one-ten household power."

"I have one of those sockets in the console of my car. Can't use it though, since Vale plugs and Atlas plugs are different."

He frowned. "What a drastic oversight, for a car sold and built in Atlas to have a Vale-style socket in it."

"When they changed the motor out they replaced the fuse panel behind the glovebox and swapped out for a different plug. Don't ask, I didn't make that decision."

"Neat. Anyway, I don't have one in the Bantam, so I have to use this to make do."

She shrugged. "It's a nice little truck, I like it."

"You'd be the only one. Blake hates it. Says it drives like a waterbed, and the steering wheel is too close to the dashboard, and the softtop lets wind in, and a bunch of other things. But I told her she just doesn't understand, it's a Bantam thing, that's just how it is."

"I appreciate that you took the doors off today, even though it's October."

"All weather is Bantam weather if you're brave. 'Sides, I got heated seats."

She rolled her eyes with a little smile. Sun's little yellow off-roader was eyecatching, for sure, but also quite ridiculous for an every day vehicle. Certainly not for long journeys, and the fact he got a seventeen-foot trailer hooked up to it must have made it dangerous to drive at high speed.

"Whatever. Show me what I'm doing over here." she said, turning from him and walking back over to the beam in the middle of the pitch.

"Yes, ma'am."

She pulled up behind the end of the beam closes to her, putting her hands flat on the stepping surface, all of five feet off the grass.

"Here, give me a boost."

"Kay, put your leg up."

She did, resting her foot in his hands as he bent down next to her. With a quiet grunt, she bounced upwards, pushing off with her right leg and pulling down with her hands, launching herself up to the beam. She landed as softly as she could, teetering a little as her weight came down on her feet.

"Woo—ah..."

"Y'alright, Weiss?"

Her hands came out to steady her.

"I'm moderately okay."

"Take your shoes off, it'll let you balance better. You won't have to worry about the flex of your soles."

She attempted to stay upright as she brought her feet together, knocking off one shoe with the toe of the other, then crossing over her legs and doing it again. How she managed to stay upright during this endeavour was nothing short of a miracle. She kicked them off the beam in the general direction of Sun's head, missing completely.

"Okay, This is marginally better."

"I thought you were a fencer, why's your balance so bad?" he teased, leaning against the tennis ball cannon.

"The difference between fencing and- _waah"_ she paused, nearly tumbling off. "-beam walking is fencing is a forward-moving sport on a four-foot wide stage, and you can move side to side a little if you need to. This is just an injury waiting to happen."

"So how do you stand so firmly on your glyphs, then?"

"Glyphs are also wide, so I don't have to worry about falling down. I've never quite had the best balance, Sun. Sometimes I forget that you didn't go to school with us and didn't take combat class with us so you never got to see all the times I would fumble."

"Bet that was funny."

"Shut up. My balance was better before I cut my hair, anyway."

"Yeah, I was gonna say. I like the haircut, by the way."

She smiled honestly down at him. "Thank you."

"Just time for a change, or did you get gum stuck in it or something?"

She shrugged, carefully stepping forward on the beam. She was trying to not look down at the brown surface, but her eyes seemed to be extremely attracted to the downward direction, and it kept throwing her off balance.

"Nah," she said, trying to figure out how to word it without revealing the truth. "I was drunk one night, grabbed the scissors, messed up the ends. When I woke up in the morning I realized most of it wasn't salvageable, so I went to my stylist." she lied, blatantly.

"Never pegged you as a drinker."

"Yeah, me neither. It was right after Pyrrha died, so I kinda went a little crazy."

He nodded, picking up a ball sack. "Looks good. Suits you."

"You're the first person to say tha- _AAAH!"_

She stumbled, tripping on her own ankle and fell sideways, landing shoulder-first into the thick crash mat. After a second of leather-sting, she rolled over and huffed.

"Glad I brought the mat, eh?" he teased, leaning over her face.

"Shut up. Yes. Ow." she groaned, rolling onto her front and pushing herself upright. She stood, and since the top of the mat was only two feet above the bottom of the bar, she was able to simply sit down on it and get back into a standing position. "Kay, lesson learned. Don't fall off."

"Great, you've mastered step one."

"How many more steps?"

The tennis ball cannon whirred into life.

"I dunno, how many balls do you think are in this bag?"

/.../

With the grace of a swan, she cartwheeled forward, narrowly avoiding being pegged in the face by a tennis ball. Another followed it a mere three seconds later, making her have to flip backwards without letting her hands touch the beam lest she get whacked in the elbow again. She managed to land the flip feet-first, miraculously, keeping her feet close together and absorbing the impact with her knees. She spun around, having run out of balance beam in that direction, and somersaulted forward over her right shoulder, pushing back upright with her left leg, all the while the little green felt-covered balls whizzed by her head.

"C'mon, Sun, you're gonna have to try harder that that!" she taunted, slipping to the side out of the way of a ball. "You haven't hit me yet!"

"I could turn up the speed if you like," he taunted leaning against the machine and sipping from his water bottle. "This is only setting two."

"Out of?"

"Ten."

"Oh, shit."

He reached down and shut the cannon off, and the loud electric motor slowly spooled down and went quiet. Weiss paused in place, perched delicately on her toes about halfway down the beam. She took a moment to stretch out her left leg. She was certainly feeling the burn.

"What'd you stop for?"

"We're gonna change it up, we've been at part one for long enough."

She bent down and sat gently on the beam, hanging her legs off the edge. "What are we gonna do instead?"

She watched as he grabbed a leather-wrapped case from the back seat of his truck, gently carrying it over and setting it down on the edge of the crash mat closest to her.

"Well, when I was training like you are, I had the balance of a bowling ball in an earthquake. I, unlike you, hadn't already been to combat school and had as much gymnastic training as a huntsman like my dad and my sister." he looked down into the case, keeping the lid up to obscure her from seeing what was inside. Much like Winter had when she pulled a gun on her the other day. "So I spent a lot of time doing step one here and getting pegged in the face with balls."

Weiss snickered.

"Grow up."

"No."

"So anyways after a while, he started insisting that I hit the balls back to him. He was getting tired of having to go shovel them up and up them back in the machine. So he made me this pole. With ping-pong paddles screwed to the ends, and said I had to hit each ball he shot back at him. Any ball I missed _I_ had to go get."

"That's fair. Do you have the pole?"

"I mean, probably, but like, at my dad's house. In his garage somewhere."

She frowned over at him. "Oh. Then why the lecture if we're not even gonna do that?"

"Because I brought you something else."

He tossed a bundle at her. She barely caught it, not quite expecting how heavy it was going to be.

"Geez, wanna warn me first?" she demanded, nearly tumbling backwards off the beam. "What is this thing?"

She looked to the bundle in her arms. Now, she was not weapons _expert_ like Ruby was, but she'd been dragged to enough stores and shows to know one kind of weapon from another. And this, the bundle in her arms, was a very particular weapon. More specifically, weapons _plural._ And even more specifically, it was four sawed-off lever-action twelve-gauge shotguns, tied up with a button snap and leather strap. The deep redwood furniture and gold-coloured inlays were also telling. She shivered.

"Wait, Sun, is this _your_ weapon?"

"Uh, yeah?"

She gingerly put it down on the beam, scooting away from it. "I can't use that."

"Why not? Afraid you'll nun-chuck yourself in the face?"

"N-no, that's not... it's _your_ weapon, I could never disrespect it like this."

He shrugged. "You need a staff to hit the balls back to me. Figured I'd put it to good use since it's not been out of the case in a while."

"But-"

"Look, it was this or a broom handle. This is correctly balanced and will feel more natural in your hands."

She shivered again, gently reaching out to pick up the bundle of shotguns. Not quite a staff yet, but they could be easily assembled into one if he was to be believed. She never _ever_ expected to be just _handed_ someone else's weapon so nonchalantly. A huntsman's weapon was supposed to be and extension of themselves, an integral part of their very being and fight. And the rule she'd learned at Atlas Prep was that turning over your weapon was akin to turning over your soul.

"I shouldn't..."

"You will. Stand up."

She did, cradling the bundle of guns in her arms the way she might a baby.

"But you're not supposed to-"

"Look, I can understand _you_ not giving up your sword as I imagine it's worth about as much as a small house, but this? Nah, this old thing's made of scrap, mostly."

She chuckled, nervously. Yes, Myrtenaster was quite expensive, and rightfully so. Titanium blade, Grimm-ivory inlay on the cross-guard, all hand-milled clockwork in the trigger and cylinder mechanism, calf-leather grip with carbon-titanium pommel, and sapphire, aquamarine, jade, rose-quartz, and phosphophyllite gemstone inlays in the cylinder itself. The value in parts alone was something close to a hundred and sixty _grand,_ but the billable labour to have it made was by itself close to a hundred grand.

"C-certainly not, Sun. This looks quite expensive on its own."

"Nah, it's four repurposed lever-action... actions from a bunch of my dad's old hunting shotguns, the wood's all stuff I found around our property and cut on a cheap bandsaw and stained, and the chain i bought at a hardware store for like three lien a foot."

"And all the gold?"

"It's not, it's brass. I spent a lot of time polishing my gun."

She levelled a look at him, doing her best impression of Winter's Big SisterTM look. To minimal avail.

"Real mature."

"What, you wanted to know!"

She straightened her back and held the weapon out in front of her.

"Okay. I guess I'll try it."

"That's the spirit. Now, it's got a trick magnetic latch to hold it open, but it will set itself."

"Okay, so..."

"Pull the button snap and hold it barrel-down."

She did as instructed, changing her grip. The snap came undone with surprising ease, but the bundle didn't immediately fall apart when and onto the ground like she was expecting.

"Now what?"

"You've seen me do it, flick your wrist down."

With a shrug, she whipped down as hard she could with her left hand. All at once, the bundle unbound itself and the weight of the three other guns left her hand as they basically were thrown away from her. One by one and in _very_ quick succession, the magnet latches engaged and locked the four firearms into a line, the chains rattling loudly against the brass. She gasped.

"Uh, that too much?"

"No, no, you're fine. Remember, not a particularly expensive weapon, and very durable. You don't have to worry about damaging it. It's seen more action that most others. Go 'head. Be rough with it."

"I'd rather just get on with the training. I'd be upset if I _did_ break it."

"How hard do you think these tennis balls are?"

The machine whirred back into life.

"Have you even asked me if I can hit anything?" She said with a smirk, spinning the long staff in her fingers. She caught it up under her arm and brought out her stance. "Maybe I'm really bad at this, you don't know."

"I trust you."

"You'd be one of the first."

Sun chuckled, and reached down to the run switch, flipping it to the lowest setting. She cracked her neck out, prepped to strike.

"Right, let's try this again."

"Yes, lets."

The balls started flying.


	38. Chapter 38: Epitaph

**Chapter 75**

"Hey, mom."

The wind whistled softly around her, the damp grass wetting the knees of her coveralls. It was a nice day to be here, the view over the cliff edge in the early evening din was certainly breathtaking as always. But the view over the four hundred foot drop would never _not_ be breathtaking, no matter the time of year, weather, mood. She sighed, leaning back on her heels and closing her eyes, letting the cool air comfort her as if someone was touching her cheeks.

"It's been a while, I know. I'm sorry. I've been away in Atlas," she sniffled, and rubbed her nose on the sleeve of her coat. It smelled like machine oil and pollen. "I've been trying to come back and see you, but I just haven't had the opportunity. Or the willpower."

She paused, looking away for a moment.

"Until now. I'm sorry. I should have come back at least once. Just to see Yang and Dad, even. Maybe I've been a little disconnected recently."

The wind whipped a few leaves from around behind her, carrying them over and off the cliff. She chuckled.

"I know, I know. They love me anyways, even if all the contact I had was by text and a phone call on Father's day and Yang's birthday. I really tried, mom. But sometimes it's hard to talk."

She adjusted her position, sitting down cross-legged in the grass and pulling her knees up a little so they rested on the sides of her boots. The red leather jacket hugged her tightly, but more so than just because it was a little too small for her chest and shoulders. It was warm like a gentle hug, even.

"I wanted to, mom. I was scared. Scared of here, scared of Yang, scared of people in general. I thought running away to the north would be enough to get me away from it all, but I don't know if that really worked. I spent all that time and money moving away, that I thought it would get rid of my demons and let me live a normal life..."

The wind blew her hair around her face, making her blink it away and grab at her bangs so they didn't whip her in the eyes. She shook it out, brushing the long locks back behind her ears and out of the way.

"But I don't know if I even know what normal is anymore. Atlas certainly isn't. It's cold, it's far away, it's alienation from my friends. From my family. I thought owning my own house, working a nine-to-five, paying my taxes... that it would all be good for me. And let me finally be _me_ again. So I didn't have to worry about the bad dreams and the memories."

Somewhere, off in the valley, a bird called out. It sounded like an eagle, with the piercing cry.

"But I _didn't_ get away from it, it happened all the same. Moving away _wasn't_ good for me. It was necessary because of my _job_ , but that's now sucking the life out of me. How'd you do it, mom? How did you get up every day and go out on missions and fight monsters so _easily?_ How did you find joy in it?"

She sighed.

"Because I can't find joy in it. I hate it. Every time I leave the barracks and get in the back of a truck or in a plane or helicopter I think 'this will be the last mission I ever go on'. I can't enjoy it anymore. I can't do what you do, mom. What you did."

A butterfly fluttered by, and landed in the grass just in front of her right knee. She smiled, and reached out for it with her index finger. It didn't fly away like the thought it would.

"I couldn't get rid of him. He stayed up in there, fighting me every night. There was nothing I could do about it that I wouldn't have regretted."

She huffed out her breath.

"So I stayed. Tried to make sense of it all, tried to keep myself safe. I wasn't very good at it, I'll be honest. But I know that it was the wrong choice to try to do it alone. I should have stayed here, with you. And with dad. And Yang. Then you could all have helped me. I wouldn't have had to wait. I wouldn't have felt isolated. But I did that to myself."

The trees in behind her rustled extra loud, the reddening leaves singing their dry melody as the air moved through and around them.

"I'm glad I was able to tell Yang. I'm glad she promised to not go on a murderous rampage. And I'm glad that I no longer feel this... this... weight on my chest. And in my head. I can only hope that tonight I don't have those dreams again. I don't think I will. Thanks to Yang."

The softness of the air made her smile. The sun had started to set, and was lighting up the sky in a pale orange.

"I may have got off track. My point is, I'm home, I feel safe with Yang, and I've decided that I need to figure out what I want from my life, and learn to grow up. And I think I have help from the right people. I love Yang very much, and I appreciate what she does for me."

She paused again, flicking a dandelion that was just in front of her toe.

"Actually, speaking of... do you remember that girl I introduced you to?"

The wind seemed to whistle in time with her.

"You remember her, of course you do. Her name was Weiss, she was really pretty. Like, really _really,_ _ **really**_ pretty? With the ivory hair and fancy scar over her eye, and kind of a smartass? Yeah, well..." she fidgeted, colour flushing her cheeks. "...I may have sorta fallen in love with her, and I don't know what to do with that information. I thought I did, but..."

The mild chill of the air had gone away in a moment.

"...I... overreacted. I dove head-first into that because I thought it would help me, but all it did was make me feel confused. I know she loves me, like, properly loves me, that's a pretty obvious fact. And I reacted like a child and ran away from her when she wanted to help me. I know it was wrong, and I want to apologize to her. And I will."

The trees sighed as the wind lifted from them, sagging again on their bows.

"But... I think I feel the same way. I don't think I've ever been in love before, mom. But if this is what it feels like, this... this... _aching_ feeling that I want to see her again, that I want to kiss her again, that I..." she struggled for words, clenching her fist. "She's so understanding of me, so accommodating, so trusting. So... kind-hearted, so selfless. The most beautiful person in the world, that you'd never have to look at to know that that was true. She believed in me at school on such a fundamental level, and more so than just because I was her partner. But because she took genuine interest in my success."

She sniffled again, trying to not tear up.

"Not to say Yang didn't, or Blake didn't, or my teachers didn't, but nobody did it quite like she did. I was always afraid that people would see through the bubbly, childish me to the depressed recluse that I made myself into, but I never noticed that Weiss would look through _that_ and loved me unconditionally. That's I think why I feel safe with her. Because she puts that above all else. She'd risk life and limb for me. When no one else would."

She had to wipe one away before it came down her face and ruined Yang's makeup job.

"And I hope to go back to that soon. Back to something I can welcome into my life. Back to some _one_ who'll welcome me into theirs. And I just need a little bit more time to find out exactly what kind of person I want to bring back to them. I think I'm _almost_ ready. And I have the best support team who ever lived, mom."

She reached her hand out and placed it on the polished marble. Even with work gloves on, she could feel the coldness of the rock and the smoothness of the surface. It was all too welcoming.

"And that includes you. No matter where you are... I know you care. And you'd want me to go back when I was ready. So that's what I'm gonna do. I'm going to build myself up again, and then go back home to love someone who loves me. I promise."

The wind went quiet, the leaves around her on the ground settled gently around her feet and bum, and the whole world seemed to relax. She smiled, rubbing the tall stone as if to comfort herself.

"Well, that was romantic, Ru."

She turned her head to look backwards at her sister, leaning against the bike with her arms crossed. "Think so? Didn't sound like pandering?"

"Li'l bit. But you're on the right track, I think. You've got a way with words, babe."

She pushed off and sauntered over, coming to sit down in the grass next to her. She had to flip her hair out and tie it back so the mess of curls that came courtesy of a fifty mile-per-hour blow dryer didn't get in her face as she settled herself into the grass and into a seated position.

"Yeah..."

"No, I'm serious. I believe that you really will do what you just promised mom, and I'm glad you want to come to me for help."

"Well, of course I'm gonna come to you _now,_ Yang."

"Why, 'cause you know now that you can trust me?" she taunted, bunting her in the shoulder.

"No, it's..." she chuckled, bunting back. "Now I know it's the right thing to do. So _yeah_ I'm gonna get your help. You've done nothing but help me for the last few weeks since I came home, Yang. I feel bad that I didn't notice that."

"Honey, it's fine."

"It's not, though." her voice took a serious turn for a moment. "D'you know what my _earliest_ memory is?"

Yang shrugged. "Something to do with Francis?"

"No, not quite." she paused. "I remember a conversation I had with mom. It was stupid. I must have been three."

"It's not stupid, sweetie. You remember our mother. Something I can _barely_ say as well."

"I remember telling her that I wanted to protect everybody, and most specifically you."

Yang straightened. "Me?"

"Yeah, I was three. Spouting toddler gibberish about wanting to protect my older sister because I loved her and that I would do anything to do so, and I remember mom kneeling down in the kitchen and giving me a strawberry to eat and saying how adorable I was and how brave I was gonna grow up to be."

Yang put her right arm around her shoulders and pulled her in. Ruby let her neck go limp and rest against the bottom of her cheek.

"Well, I'm certainly appreciative of you, honey."

"I realize now that you didn't need protecting, at least, not in the same way I do. Did. You were strong physically more than I ever was until very recently, and you were always doing the protecting and the nurturing. And I never did and sometimes I feel selfish for that."

Yang kissed her softly on the top of the head, matting her hair down.

"I don't need protecting, sweetie. I just need you. To be around me. In whatever form that takes."

"Can I at least _try_ to protect you? Like, once?" she said, with a sad smile crossing her mouth.

"You can always try, Ruby. And you'll always succeed, just by being my little sister. I'm not gonna be more proud of you the more Grimm you kill, and I won't be less proud if you retire and stop being a Huntress. You..."

Yang paused, looking over the cliff and across the valley.

"...You always will be there for me, even if you don't mean to. I know you're a mess, and I'm a mess, and dad's a mess, and Weiss is a mess... gosh, the only person we know who has their life figured out must be Ren, rolling in stacks of cash and a successful tech corporation. I mean... maybe Sun and the boys, but really, that's not important. Their messes aren't my problem. Your mess is my problem. And I like problems. Because I like _you."_

Ruby sniffled.

"Thanks, Yang. I like you too."

"Our lives will never really be alright, babe. Not with the Grimm still out there, terrorists, and political corruption... but in truth, the big picture doesn't matter to us, does it?"

"I guess not..."

"It's only an issue if you're a Huntsman, and have to deal with that kind of thing as your job, but us regular citizens don't have to. I'm not saying quit your job because it's easier to be normal, of course."

"I know what you mean."

"Like, as much as the government wants to blame everything and all of the country's problems on Menagerie, there's like, not any chance that a war is gonna break out. There's no military force at our borders threatening to invade. We're not on any cusp of nuclear winter..."

"You're saying as a species, we're doing alright?"

"Yeah, that's what I'm getting at. It's just... one individual, and you dealt with that, and I am _more_ than proud of you for that."

"I... kinda hoped you would be."

Yang gave her shoulder a squeeze with her mechanical strength.

"And I am! More than anything. You're the strongest person I know, including me. Life will always be a bumpy road, remember that. It's just a lot smoother if you've got _your_ hands on the steering wheel."

Ruby smiled. "Thanks for including my interests in your anecdote."

"Little known fact, sometimes I listen to your radio show. Look, my point is, I love you, and I think you've just gotten back into the proverbial car, and are now in control of it. It's up to you know, kiddo. Just remember, your sister's always gonna be in the passenger seat, offering directions."

"Thank you, Yang. You're a better sister than me."

"Well, you're a cuter sister than me."

Ruby rolled her eyes. "No, I'm not."

"Yes, you are!" she said, pushing her face into Ruby's cheek, smooching her with a wet pop and leaving a defined lipstick imprint on her rosy skin.

" _Blech,_ Yang, gross! No, I'm not!"

"Yeeeesss, you are," she said, extending the 's' sound for far too long and pulling her in. There was no escape from the arm, not with the amount of lithium-powered, alternating-current torque it produced. "There's no escape!"

"I must escape!"

"I shan't let you, because I adore you!"

"My freedom!"

"My baby sister!"

They struggled for a moment, but not in any malicious way, poking each other in the face and sides, Ruby trying desperately to slip away and gain any kind of advantage, to no avail. Not that she _really_ wanted to, of course. This was Yang. She loved Yang. So she allowed the part-time farmer and full-time sister to continue her attacks, almost unheeded. After a few more fairly tickly jabs in the sides, Yang stopped, pulling her in against her side and sighing contentedly down into the top of her head.

"You're sweet, Ru. Please never change that."

"I won't."

"Good."

Ruby rubbed her nose.

"You wanna know something I figured out yesterday?"

"Whassat?"

Ruby paused. "Do you know what tomorrow is?"

"The..." Yang flipped her wrist out to check her watch. "...Thirty-first of October."

"Do you know what that is?"

"It's your birthday."

"Yeah, my birthday." she nodded. "You know what, Yang?"

"What?"

"I'm turning twenty-four years old."

"Yeah, eh? Finally an adult, kiddo."

She smiled bleakly, leaning her weight over into Yang.

"No, it's not that. It mean I..." the thought stopped in the throat. It took effort to force it out. "It means I'll have outlived our mother. She was only twenty-three."

She reached out, rubbing the rock again, tracing her fingers down the letters on the front.

 _Summer Eloise Rose_

 _September 1_ _st_ _, 1973 – May 18_ _th_ _, 1996_

 _Beloved mother and wife_

' _Thus kindly I scatter...'_

She sniffled again, retracting her hand and wiping her face on her sleeve.

"And tomorrow I officially am older than mom."

"You will be, yeah. And you've survived a lot worse than she ever did. Or, didn't."

"I used to think sometimes that it would be better if I hadn't. But now I think 'no, that's stupid to think like that, too many people care about you' and I think it's better that way."

"It's absolutely better this way, honey. You're not allowed to not survive. You're Ruby Rose, and you're _my_ sister, so you have to be here so I can dote on you and make you smile."

Ruby sighed.

"What if... and this is just a thought... what if I finally start using dad's last name?"

"Ruby Xiao-Long? I dunno, it's doesn't have the same ring to it."

"Yeah, but _you_ guys are my family. Dad raised me, you raised me. You are more a part of my life than my childhood dreams of becoming a world-class huntress, which by the way I am. I've always kinda felt left out by you guys because I'm so different. You guys are blond, tall, beautiful-"

"You're beautiful too, silly."

"Yang, don't interrupt me when I'm monologuing."

"Sorry."

"Anyway, as I was saying, I feel like I'm not a part of my own family. And I want to change that. I know mom always wanted me to be my own person, but I'm not sure I was supposed to ever feel this isolated."

"I thought you took mom's last name to honour her memory."

I did, you're right. But I have so many other ways to honour her. For one, I look exactly like her-"

"Except for all these," Yang squeezed her around the bicep.

"Okay, sure except for that-"

"And these." she poked her in the boob.

Ruby looked up at her and glared.

"That wasn't my point, Yang. Also, how would you know that, and why would you care?"

"There's a picture in one of the albums of mom and dad at the beach when we were infants. I think we get our chesticles from dad."

"You didn't just say chesticles."

"I did, I have a list I pull from."

Ruby put her face in her hands. "Why are you like this?"

"Because it makes you smile."

"May I please finish my point?"

"You may."

She leaned her head back into Yang's elbow.

" _Huhhhhh_ I want to change my name, because I feel like my identity is with you guys, because you are my family. Mom's still my family, but she's also yours. Our parents were never married, but if they were, I know that mom would have taken dad's name because that's the kind of person that she was."

"Yeah..."

"And we have this whole cliff! This is Rose Peak, for darn sake!"

"You can choose to do whatever you feel is right, babe. You'll always be a part of our family because you _are_ a part of our family, last name or not. You're my sister, blood related. You don't _have_ to change your name just to be a part of your own family, Ruby."

"Yeah, I know, but I would feel better if I did. I don't want to be the only Rose left."

Yang nodded slowly.

"Then you make that decision. For you. Not for me."

"Okay."

Yang rubbed her hair, messing it up and pulling one of the little curls next to her face gently straight. It was true that Ruby had always imagined herself changing her name, even if it was only ornamental. She'd technically always been a Xiao-Long, it was written on her birth certificate. She'd chosen to use Rose as a tribute, signing all school and business documents using that name. Even her driver's license had her new last name on it. The Vale Motor Authority understood her predicament and accepted the use of Rose as her last name. Even if it was wrong.

"Hey, Ru."

"Yeah?"

"You feeling hungry yet?"

"A little. Isn't it like, seven o'clock?"

"Yeah, close to it. I'll buy you dinner at Junior's if you want."

"I think I want. It's too late in the day to be making life decisions, anyways. Maybe tomorrow."

Yang chuckled and stood up again. "Smart thinking, kiddo. C'mon."

"Alright." she said, pushing herself to her feet. She put her hand on the headstone to steady herself, leaving it there for a moment longer before finally turning and stepping away. Sitting in the grass just a few long steps away was her mom's bike, a little dirty from the hour long ride, but plenty willing to stretch its legs for the hour back into town. "Junior's it is."

Halfway back over to the bike, she turned around, and smiled at her mom.

"I'll see you around."

The wind whistled back.

/.../

She wasn't quite if it was the fact that everyone in town could hear them coming, or if it was just a slow night at the bar, but it seemed to her like Millie had been waiting for them, leaned against the front of Junior's next to the door. She waved at them as Yang rolled the bike down through the gears, popping up onto the sidewalk and slowing to a loud, rumbling stop under the Bar's dim floodlights. They dismounted, pulling their helmets off and hanging them off the bike's tall handlebars. Ruby scratched her head where the helmet had been rubbing her scalp, leaning forward and pulling her hair elastic out and fluffing her hair so it would sit right. As she came back up, she let the wavy brown mess settle forward, over her shoulders.

"Ahh, that's better."

"Helmet bothering you?"

"I think my head's smaller than mom's. This is loose on my noggin."

"I can buy you a better fit if you like."

Ruby smiled at her sister. "Nah, it's alright. I don't really have a use for a bike helmet since I don't know how to ride. I'll stick with this one."

"Whatever you say, babe. Let's hope we can get a table."

They approached the door with a skip almost, hungry and ready for terrible pub food and a seat to sit on that _wasn't_ the tight leather saddle of the motorcycle.

"Hey, Millie," Yang started. "Got space for us today?"

"Yeah, head on in, guys. We're pretty dead." the girl in the black t-shirt and jeans chimed, smiling gently.

Yang pushed through the door and into the Bar, leaving Ruby and Millie outside. She took a moment to speak with the girl currently not inside and on shift.

"Why're you out here, Mil?" Ruby asked, not noticing a cigarette or anything else that would normally be a reason to be standing around outside a bar. "Just taking a break?"

"Dad said he saw some unfavourable characters selling drugs down that alley," she said, pointing across the street and down the alley between the two adjacent buildings. "He said he wants me to catch them and report it to the cops."

Ruby squinted. "Your dad working _with_ the cops?"

"I know right? Super weird. But there's literally _nothing_ to do in there, and I like people watching, it's fun."

"I suppose you're right. Good to see you, Mil."

"You too, Red."

Ruby tried not to flush at Millie's soft smile as she too pushed her way into the bar, pulling up behind her sister who was stood behind the ' _please wait to be seated'_ sign on the podium just inside the doorway. Seeing as the last time they were in there, Yang just jumped at the barstools and yelled for Junior, having her stationary and waiting politely was almost confusing. After a beat, Melanie came power-walking out from around a corner, her best customer service look on her face and dressed in the same bar uniform as her sister outside, wearing a low apron over her jeans.

"Sorry for the wait, for- oh, it's you guys!" her voice changing to a more cheerful attitude. "You here to see dad?"

"Nah," Yang waved her question off. "We're actually here for dinner, but if you could send him out to see us, that'd be great!"

Mel smiled. "Follow me, then."

She turned, two leather-bound menus in her arms, and led the two of them around to the brick-sided wall on the right side of the small room. She placed the two menus onto the top of a booth table, lit by wide and low incandescent green glass chandelier. Ruby slid herself into one side, her sister sliding into the other.

"D'you want me to get you guys drinks now, or wait 'till dad comes around?"

Yang shrugged. "Was kinda hoping he'd bring a cocktail menu along-"

"Yang, you have to drive us back, no." she slapped her sister on the hand. "Wait until Junior shows up. Sorry, Mel, she's an idiot."

"Believe me, I know." she pointed to her ribs with a wink. "I'll go get him."

"Thanks."

The girl departed. Ruby sank into the deep bench fabric and sighed. The day had taken _so_ much out of her at this point, she almost had nothing left to give. She'd injured herself in the junkyard in the morning, had a soul-changing life lesson with Ren and Yang in the afternoon, and had a visit with her mother no more than an hour ago. She was drained. She just wanted some crappy food and drink, and then to go home and get in bed and sleep for twelve hours. So when the unique sound of size seventeen boondockers and the sudden colossal shadow cast across her table, she was excited. But not enough to sit up straight like her father was always lecturing her to do.

She glanced up at the huge man. "Hey, Junior."

"Ladies," his voice boomed back down at them. "How are we this evening?"

"Tired. Hungry. The usual, I guess."

He smiled. For once, he was clean-shaven, which almost made him unrecognizable, but still very handsome for a man with as much grey in his hair as him.

"I can help you with one of those things, for sure. Drinks to start, ladies?"

"Virgin Cuba Libre, for me." Yang smirked.

Junior paused, frowning. "That's a rum and cola without the rum..."

"Ruby said I couldn't drink, but I still want a cocktail, so..."

"Don't be obtuse. Ruby, do you approve of this?"

Junior turned to her. Ruby shrugged. "If you couldn't tell, we rode in on something I don't know how to operate, so she has to stay sober."

"You mean that thundering noise ripping through my town was you two?"

"Yeah, on mom's old bike."

His eyes went wide. He made a point to the door. "That's... Summer's Hog out there?"

"Yeah."

"Jeez, bring that thing inside, I don't want it getting tampered with out there! Mel! Get your sister, roll that chopper in here!" he called, watching his daughter swing around from behind the bar and go outside. They watched apprehensively as the twins struggled to get the bike's wide handlebars through the doorway that was about two inches too narrow to fit it, trying their hardest to not snag the clutch and front brake handles on the skinny frame. "Just put it in the middle of the room, guys."

It settled to a stop, just in front of the bar, sagging on it's kickstand as Millie and Mel disappeared into the kitchen with a swing of the saloon door. The sound of the grill firing up and the deep fryer boiling was muted by the noise of the door hinges squeaking loudly.

"There, that's better," he said with a smile, turning back to them. " _Now_ can I get you guys any drinks?"

"What have you got on tap?" Ruby asked, sitting forward and putting her elbows on the table.

Junior cocked an eyebrow at her. "Well, we have a dark brew from the distillery across the street from the post office-"

"Hey, we supply the barley to them, don't we?" Yang interjected.

Ruby shrugged. "I 'unno, do we? I just drive the tractor, I don't know where it goes."

"That's Hopps's, right?"

The bartender nodded. "Indeed, it is. Babs and Gav Hopps still own it, sixty-two years later. Those two old rabbits are still at it to this day."

"Guess I'll try it, see if we make anything good." she said, grinning sideways at him.

Junior pulled a notebook from his apron. "Pint of dark for you, and for the Yang?"

Yang sighed, defeated. "Vodka martini, I guess."

"Apple juice, it is!" He tapped the pad with his pencil, and spun around back to the bar. He returned a moment later, with three pint glasses filled with drink, including one pint of dark for himself. They hit the table with three meaty thuds as the heavy, thick glass was set down on the wood surface.

Yang grabbed hers, filled with yellow liquid. "What's this, a lager?"

She took a sip, her face twisting like she'd been force fed a lemon.

"Nope, it's apple juice. Like I told you."

"Always gotta ruin my fun, Hei."

He poked her in the nose. "You're not going to disrespect _that_ beautiful motorcycle with your drunk ass on my watch, Xaio-Long."

"Aw, man."

Ruby giggled as she brought her mug up to her mouth, having to suck back the tall inch of foam to get to the cold, caramel-sweet brew. The moment it touched her tongue, she almost gagged, not having expected the punch in the mouth from the strong flavour. It was _good,_ but it was a little rich for her tastes, having only ever bought the cheap, highly advertised canned crap.

"Holy hell, that's smooth." she said, having to squint and wipe the foam from her upper lip. "It's so thick."

"Is it good?" he asked, politely.

"Fuck yeah, it is!" she said, taking another sip. The alcohol content in the drink wasn't enough to get her blitzed on a single pint, but three or four, maybe. She'd limit herself to the one.

"I'm glad it is, I'd have chucked all four barrels of it if you didn't like it." he pulled out his notepad again. "Right, settled on anything to eat?"

Ruby put her glass down on the table and flipped her menu open. She gave the pages a quick, cursory glance before looking back up at him.

"How's the chicken curry?"

"Well, terrible, but it does classify as 'food' so we can legally have it on the menu."

"Then I'll have the chicken curry." she said, closing her menu with a smirk.

"How hot?"

"Regret."

He winked at her. "Gotcha. Yang?"

"Lasagna, extra cheese and extra mushrooms."

"Uh huh. I'll pass this along to the girls, and I'll be right back."

He turned to leave, stuffing his notepad down his apron again, and disappeared back behind the bar and into the kitchen. Ruby sunk back down in her seat, stretching out her legs and kicking off her work boots under the table, flinging them at her sister's legs, missing completely. Yang just smirked at her and kicked the boots back. After a beat, Junior came waltzing back around the bar to their booth, a large cardboard box in his arms.

"Package arrived for you." he said, dropping the box onto the table. It made a hard enough _whump_ to vibrate the glasses of drink on the surface. He quickly folded himself into Yang's side of the booth and bunted her sideways with his truck-sized hips. "Just remembered it as I got back there."

"Ooh." she cheered, her eyes lighting up as she grabbed the brown, unlabelled box. "Methinks I'll enjoy this, Hei."

"Not too much, please."

She winked at him, pulling out a knife from inside her coat, flicking it open and stabbing into the tape at the ends of the box. She was like a kid on their birthday, ripping into her present like it owed her money. Well, like a _well-funded_ kid on her birthday, since the heavy aluminum and carbon-fibre that she lifted out of the packing peanuts was worth as much as a brand new car. She held it up above the table in awe.

" _Man!_ It's finally here! This thing is _sweet!"_

She flipped it over a few times in her fingers, running her eyes up and down the polished chrome and ivory white anodized surface. It actually appeared to be a newer model of arm than her old one, but that was probably only because it was in much better condition and didn't have a year and a half of hard farm work and part time fire-fighting duties dug into the surface. Ruby observed her sister fawn wordlessly over the robotic appendage, completely ignorant of the fact it was an illegally obtained piece of secretive military hardware that had been obtained for her by the former head of the Vale Mafia.

"I had my guys modify it so it would work with your comms collar like last time, and I opened it when it came in to verify the functionality and state of repair. I was gonna call you but I got distracted by work."

"Oh, it's amazing, Hei. I can't believe it."

"Well, you gonna try it on?" he asked, leaning his elbows onto the table. "Or are you just gonna keep staring at it?"

She placed it down in her lap and made quick work of shedding her sweater, exposing the old prosthetic and the heavy leather straps that held it in place on her shoulders. With three loud _clicks_ from the buckles, the weight of the old arm dropped and bounced off the thick table and onto the bench between her and Junior, to be forgotten. She reached for the new arm and tried to slip it onto the end of her arm. It didn't take. In fact, the old arm was still wiggling on the bench.

"What the-"

"Jeez, Yang, calibrate it first!" Ruby chided, sipping her beer. "Even _I_ knew that, and I _have_ all my limbs!"

Yang frowned and flushed red. "Shut up, I knew that."

She grabbed the old arm again and quickly pulled the power pack out, taking all the life it had left away from it and leaving it uncomfortably limp. She placed it down again with a little more caution back into the box the new one had come in, and set about trying to put the battery into the fancy new one. Ruby was already holding out a six millimetre Torx driver when Yang looked up to ask if she had one, making her roll her eyes and snag it from her hand.

"I-"

"Don't say anything." she mumbled, pulling the sideplate of the new arm off and gently strapping the battery into place. "Don't be an annoying little sister for five minutes."

Ruby put her hands up exasperatedly. "The heck am I supposed to do, then? Sit here and watch in silence?"

"Preferably."

"I don't think so."

As soon as she had the sideplate back on, the arm powered up, coiling its fingers into a fist and straightening the elbow joint with the kind of silent whirring she'd certainly expect from the MagLev drives and silica-carbide 'tendons' that the robots the arm came from were made with. From her memory of the Atlesian armoury, these robots were weight-rated for a three-thousand pound lift capacity, so the internal components of their arms had always been up to snuff for Yang and the heavy abuse she put them through. She placed the arm gently down on the table, and reached up around the back of her neck to the back of her collar, fishing out the back of her choker.

"Can you get the..."

Ruby had already reached forward and stuck her finger into the calibration button inside the upper sleeve of the arm. "Press it."

Yang squeezed the button on the back of the choker, and for a second, a red light came on on the back of the new arm's hand, flashing twice before turning green and shutting off. The arm suddenly flexed upwards and the hand tensed up, the fingers forming a tight fist. Yang released the choker and tucked it back beneath her collar and out of sight, grabbing the arm and deftly slipping the end of her own arm into the gripping cups inside the prosthetic limb. It latched on, taking a firm but solid hold on what remained of her bicep, and she gave the arm a few quick tests, in and out on the elbow joint and rolling her fingers fancifully.

"Aw, it's beautiful."

"I'm glad you think so, it was very expensive." Junior mused, watching Yang play with her new arm.

"Hei, I could kiss you."

"And you'd be thrown out onto the street for doing so."

Ruby giggled. "You should try it, I think watching you get ejected would be hilarious."

"Ruby, my dear, please don't encourage your sister."

Before anyone had a chance to interject, Millie stuck her head out from the kitchen doors and yelled across the empty bar with a mix of sarcasm and annoyance in her voice.

"Da- _aaad!_ We've run into a problem!"

Hei sat up straight and focused his attention back to the kitchen. "What's the matter?"

"We can't find the curry sauce and Melanie can't find the recipe book with how to make homemade curry sauce in it."

"Did you check above the sink?"

"Duh."

He frowned. "The curry sauce should be in the walk-in, then."

"It's not, I checked."

"Did you guy-check or did you _me-_ check?"

"I moved things!" she said, with an offended tone.

He chuckled and stood up, groaning painfully as the benches were not exactly made for someone of his stature. "I'll come back there, give me a second." he turned to Yang for a second. "D'you want me to take the box, or did you want to put the old arm back in it?"

She waved him away. "I don't need it. Thanks"

He picked up the remnants of the shredded cardboard and the spewn packing peanuts, and trudged back to the kitchen, disappearing through the doorway once more with his offended and annoyed chef in tow. Ruby sighed as they were once again left alone again, the only sounds being the muffled din of Hei rooting through cupboard in the back and Yang playing with her arm.

"Man, I love this thing."

Ruby held back a tiny burp. "You gonna paint it?"

"Dunno. I kinda like the exposed carbon-fibre look. It's very sci-fi."

"Very true."

"Besides, for once I could co-ordinate an outfit instead of having to always wear yellow."

Ruby gasped, placing a hand to her chest. "Blasphemy!"

"It's hard to get up in the morning and say 'I wonder what I should wear today? Oh yeah, yellow.' Every damn day."

"I never pegged you as someone who really cares about fashion."

"I don't really. I mean, not nearly as much as Weiss does."

"Tsk-yeah."

Yang stuck her tongue between her teeth and started fiddling with the array of buttons that sat in the most opportune of places inside the forearm, reserved usually for tuning the various features of the robot the arm was from. Ruby watched as she fiddled with speed and strength settings and made the arm perform acrobatic feats of movement just for her own amusement. Right up until the moment she found the setting for the 'Sonic Amplification' component, used for rock crushing when the robots would be out in the field. Yang's face lit up as the arm started to vibrate. Violently.

"Woah, they still can do this!?"

"Oh, god."

"This is gonna be great." she said with a devious and far _too_ excited smile on her face.

"Yang, you promised you'd never misuse your arm like that again."

"That was like, two arms ago, lighten up."

Ruby took a big drink from her pint, frowning at her sister.

"That's fuckin' gross."

"Says you."

Ruby rolled her eyes, putting her glass down and crossing her arms, distracted by somewhere off in the distance. She rubbed the edge of the table, right in the scuff where someone had clearly introduced their bread knife to the wood surface for probably ten minutes at _least._ A thought came to her. She looked back to Yang, and patiently waited for a moment until she picked up her apple juice and took a sip.

"Hey, you know, I came _really_ close to having sex with Weiss."

Yang visibly choked a little on her drink, blinking rapidly to clear her sinuses of juice. She put it down with a chuckle, and a tiny smile, only mildly affected by the sudden comment.

"Oh yeah? How close is close?"

Ruby smiled slyly, bringing her hand up to her face, splaying out her digits and looking down at them. Yang went to take another sip of her drink. Ruby grinned deviously.

"I dunno, how long do you think Weiss's fingers are?"

Yang _properly_ choked, spitting her drink out onto the floor next to their booth, coughing and grabbing at her throat and trying to regain the ability to breathe. She pounded the table twice, rasping her lungs and having to hold her own torso upright. She coughed, glaring over the table at her.

"You _waited_ until I had drink in my mouth, didn't you?"

"I did, yeah."

"Jerk."

"Mmm, I prefer 'baby sister', thanks."

Yang banged on her chest to clear out any remaining mucus and apple juice from her lungs. Ruby mused with a smile and her chin resting gently on her hands. Yang paused for a moment

"You're serious, though? About Weiss?"

She sat idle, thumbing the edge of her glass.

"Dead serious."

"Wow, you really are in love with her, huh."

"Uh huh. I was a stupid little girl when I ran away. I shouldn't have."

"We all make mistakes, Ruby."

She sighed, deeply, sinking into the bench.

"Yeah... but I feel like I made the worst one."

"That's an acceptable way to feel, honey."

Ruby rubbed her eyes in her hands.

"Sometimes I feel like I don't deserve love."

"But you do, silly."

"No, I know, but it's how I _feel._ Like I'll never know what it's like to truly be in love."

"But do you?" she goaded.

"I mean, I may have fallen in love with Weiss."

"What do you mean 'may have', Ruby? How long are you going to lie to yourself?"

"I'm not lying!"

"Okay, but you're not admitting the whole truth."

"Fine, I'm in love with her, happy?"

"Why would that make _me_ happy?"

Ruby put her head down on the table, mumbling her frustrations into her arms.

"Why do you always make this stuff so hard for me?"

"Because it makes you stronger. Now tell me, how do you _really_ feel about Weiss?"

"Completely, fascinatingly, utterly, overwhelmingly infatuated. I want to be with her for the rest of my life, and I want to love her more than anything else in the world."

Yang sat back, crossing her arms with a smile.

"See, that's the kind of enthusiasm I expect from you."

"Ughhhh."

"Now, how are you gonna get what you want?"

Ruby shrugged. "Go back to Atlas?"

"Yeah, sure, but are you ready to?"

"I am."

"Are you _sure?"_

Another sigh.

"Maybe not."

"I'm sure you are, but whether or not I think so doesn't matter. I believe that you love her, no doubt. I still remember when the two of you slept together at school-"

"That wasn't on purpose! Zwei ruined the bed! I was just being friendly!"

"Oh, you were getting _friendly,_ alright." she wiggled her eyebrows at her.

Ruby flushed red. "Y-Yang, stop."

"But I'm right, kiddo. I was _there,_ I _watched_ the two of you cuddling at night."

"Yaa-aaang..."

"It was _adorable,_ honey. You're in love with her. There's no 'might be' about it."

She reached over the table and fluffed her hair, making her want to retract further into the seat and pout.

"Yang, you're embarrassing me."

Yang frowned. "In front of who? We're the only ones in the bar!"

Ruby just rolled her eyes and looked away, sitting up. She grabbed her drink and finished it off as quickly as she could, silencing her sister with a loud bang of the empty pint glass on the table.

"How about this," she woozed, semi-glaring at her across the table. "I love Weiss. I am one hundred percent certain about this. I will go back to Atlas, and fuck the shit out of her as soon as I'm ready."

For the second time, Yang spit her drink out and onto the floor.

" _Ahem,_ can you warn me next time you say something like that?!"

Ruby crossed her arms with a smug smile. "No."

Yang laughed, wiping her mouth and eyes with a napkin. "Alright, lady killer."

She felt pretty high and mighty at this point, as Junior sauntered back over to them from the kitchen, a pleased look on his face and a basket full of steaming corn chips in his arms. A welcome sight to any table, let alone one staffed by her favourite criminal gangster. He slid back into the seat next to her sister, putting the basket down on the table between them and picking one of the chips out, crunching it loudly. Ruby reached for one as well, ending up with two by accident.

"Alright, crisis averted, I found the recipe for the good chicken curry, it was in my office for some reason," he started, settling his huge body into the tiny seat again. "The girls are on it, you should have some dinner in about thirty minutes or so."

"Sounds good to me," she tried, mouth full of corn chip. She had to remember to chew carefully as the hot, fresh chips were still scalding from their trip through the fryer.

Yang looked sideways at her benchmate, with slightly more than her usual cocky seduction on her face. She reached over and jabbed Junior in the ribs.

"Hey, Hei."

He looked down at her. "Yes, Yang?"

"I think it's time we give it to her."

He just shook his head. "I don't..."

"You know, the _thing_."

"What thing?"

"The old thing. That we said we'd give her when she was ready. The thing you've been saving."

Ruby made a point to crunch a chip extra hard.

"You know, it's not nice to play the pronoun game with me at the table, guys."

Hei kept his eyes on Yang, confused. She did the eyebrow wiggle again. He frowned. It took another five or six wiggles of her brow before he caught on to what she was trying at.

"Oh, _that._ Do you really think she's ready?"

"I'm certain of it."

" _Guys!"_

Junior nodded. "Then it's time. And I'll be damned if I'm getting up again. _Melanie!"_

Ruby just watched this whole scene unfold with a confused look on her face. It felt like she wasn't even in the room as everything was just happening around her. Mel stuck her head out of the kitchen door, spaghetti sauce on her shirt and her nose.

"Yeah?"

"Get the box." he said with an all-knowing grin.

She blinked at him a few times, her face a complete wall.

"Gonna have to be more specific, dad."

His face landed in his palm. "The box in my safe under my desk."

"Oh, _that_ box. Be right back."

And she once again disappeared into the back of the bar, only to reappear a moment later with a shoebox in her arms. Ruby frowned. From the way they were talking about it, she almost expected this mysterious box to be made of jewels and be radiating light and music. Instead, it was a regular _FootPalace_ shoebox, brown and boring, with the white label stuck to one side. With the grace of a ballerina, Mel set the box down on the table in front of her, facing the handwritten lid in her direction.

This was when Ruby noticed the most glaring thing about the box as she reached for it. Her heart briefly palpated, and her voice caught harshly in her throat.

"That's-" she started.

"Mom's handwritting, yeah." Yang finished for her.

" _Work in progress, do not open,"_ she read off the top of the box. It was written in black marker, clearly in a hurry. It took a moment to realize that the shoebox was the one her dad's old brown leather shoes had come in, the picture on the top corner of the box almost exactly matching them. This box was old.

"Go ahead, open it." her sister said, waving her fingers to signify that it was okay.

"But it says..." she gingerly pulled up at the weather-cracked clear tape holding the lid down. "I shouldn't..."

"C'mon, hun."

The lid came up, revealing a ream of blue papers, and some loose bits of plastic. To the untrained eye, it was just that. A bunch of loose papers in a box. But to Ruby, a seasoned engineer and draftsman, they were anything but. She reached into the box and pulled out the top paper from its clip and held it up in front of her, the white pencil marks crossing the page almost glowing at her.

"Hahh-"

"Well? What do you think?"

"These are..."

Designs for a weapon. Done by her mother. Neat ruler lines and measurements dotting the page, the note box filled with her mom's uncharacteristic messy handwritting, scribbled messages about spring tensions and tolerances.

"This is intense, Yang..."

"I figured as much. What do you think?"

"I..."

She picked up the next piece of paper, examining the designs with a keen eye. The large curved blade was presented in an isometric view, drawn expertly with the joint mount on one end and a scalpel-like point on the other. She shivered.

"This is... this is..." she tried to make sense of the plans. "There's a lot missing from this."

"Oh?"

"Look..." she put one of the pages down on a dry spot on the table. "There's no latch holding this blade in. It looks like there's supposed to be, but none of the plans have anything resembling it. It would just swing freely and cut your fingers off."

Yang frowned. "It's supposed to swing?"

"Yeah, right here at the blade."

"Yeah, I could never make sense of these. What do you think they are?"

Ruby spread the pile of papers out onto the table in a fan motion. She tilted her head to try and get a better grasp of what she was looking at.

"I'm not sure, but..." she sniffled and picked up what she assumed was the master drawing. "...It looks like some kind of undersized scythe. Hand-held. Easy to manipulate."

"Like a sickle?"

"I think so. I'm not sure what this means, though."

She pointed to a note at the bottom of the master copy, highlighted in pink of all things. A weird contrast on the blue drafting paper.

" _Double_?"

"Yeah, I'm not sure, but... maybe she means for there to be two of them."

"Two of them?"

"I think so."

"Do you think you could build this?"

Ruby smiled at her sister. "Yang, I can build anything. But _this..."_

She carefully checked the master copy again.

"This feels special. Like something I'm _supposed_ to do."

"So are you gonna replace Crescent Rose with this?"

"I might just." she said with a soft grin.

Which lifted as soon as she saw Yang's face. Which had a look of pure disgust on it. Ruby was taken aback.

"What?"

"You'd replace your baby just like that?"

"...Yeah?"

"But you _love_ that weapon, don't you?!"

Ruby sighed.

"Yang, that old rifle is the biggest piece of shit I've ever owned."

"Ah!" Yang gasped, placing a hand to her chest, offended.

"I designed it when I was twelve, the hell did I know about weapon design? It's too big, it's too clunky, it's completely unbalanced, all the hinges stick, the latches are mostly all broken..." she paused to think. "... the receiver is jacked up, the bolt doesn't cycle properly anymore, and none of the blades have anything resembling a sharp edge on them. And they all take about thirty minutes to remove because I didn't understand the concept of 'modularity' back then. It's a really sucky weapon."

Yang huffed.

"I think it suits you."

"I think it doesn't. Besides, I have to build these first, before I decide that the scythe isn't good enough anymore. I'm gonna finish what mom started, and I'm gonna do it right."

"Are you gonna change her designs?"

"Only if I need to. Most of this looks good anyways. It'll be up and slicing and dicing in about, uh, probably two weeks."

"That's a long time."

"Yeah, kinda. I hope I can afford all these supplies, too. Have you seen the parts list she made? It's like three grand at _least."_

"I can chip in, if you want." Junior interjected. "I haven't seen Summer's designs since my days at school with her. I'm just as excited to see this built as you are to build it, Red."

"Thanks, Junior."

"Man, so much forward progress today!" Yang cheered. "I'm so proud of you, honey."

"I'm doing what I can, Yang. Just what I can."

"That's all I can ask for." she reached over the table again and ruffled her hair, messing it up further.

At this moment, Mel and Millie arrived with two plates of food on two large silver platters, the strong smell of curry wafting across the table at them, almost knocking Ruby over. With quick hands, she re-stacked all the paper and placed it gently back into the shoebox, closing the lid and putting it safely out of harm's way as the plates were put in front of her and her sister. Mel had also brought another beer for her, taking her empty glass away.

"Well, Ruby, I propose a toast." Yang picked up her glass of apple juice. "Since you have taken steps towards your goal, you have earned this, I think."

Ruby picked up her new beer, a little wary of what it was going to do to her. "Okay."

"To Ruby! And to making life better!"

"To me!"

They clinked glasses, beer and apple juice splashing onto the table.

"To me." she said a second time, taking a sip.

She was ready.

Life would change.

For the better.


	39. Chapter 39: Driving and Shooting

**Chapter 76**

She rode her exhaust brake all the way down the last hill, the big black truck shuddering noisily as it slowed down to a stop, flicking on her left turn signal and waiting for a few cars to pass in the other direction. As soon as the way was clear, she let up on the clutch and cranked the wheel over, spewing two large clouds of diesel exhaust smoke from the chrome bed stacks. Her truck had enough power to start in second or third gear, even with a trailer full of cars hooked up to the fifth wheel hitch in the bed. But she pulled away in first, making sure the extra-long race trailer cleared the edge of the parking lot and didn't clip on the curbs. The extra-wide wing mirrors certainly helped a lot.

"C'mon…" she muttered, leaning forward in her seat to see the end of the trailer in the mirror, some forty-five feet behind her truck. "Stupid trailer."

She straightened up and pulled along the single-lane driveway that led to the parking lot. The truck and trailer was almost too wide to fit down the lane, with the extra-wide dually wheels and fold-out hauling mirrors almost brushing into the low hanging weeping willows that led her in. Every pothole the truck fell into in the road made her wince, fearing for the safety of her load as the trailer rocked violently back and forth. She made a pained noise. The trailer wasn't hers, and she _really_ didn't want to damage it.

Her nose had started running. The pollen-y air in Mistral was absolutely ripe, and was triggering her allergies something awful. She wasn't normally someone affected by dust and pollen so badly, especially now that it was _November_ and trees didn't tend to be pollinating at this time of year in Atlas. But Anima was a completely different climate to her homeland, with a 'reversed' set of seasons, having the hot and cold times of the year at the wrong times. Although, now that she thought about it, it was winter pretty much all year round up north, with maybe two months of snowless hot summer. How any sort of foliage grew in Atlas was a miracle of nature.

The sun broke through the leaves as she crossed into the actual parking lot itself, which was completely devoid of cars except for one particular deep maroon-coloured Sanus Stallion GT, sitting off to the side on fancy gold wheels and expensive performance tires. She pulled along the fenceline and stopped, smacking her fist into the trailer brake air release, hearing the loud _pssshhhh_ from the compressor in the bed behind the cab, signifying the trailer's brakes locking up. She wiggled the truck's gear lever into neutral, and stood on the foot-operated parking brake before pushing the engine stop button. Inside the centre console was her keyring, with _fourteen_ different car keys on it, of all the ones she owned and kept at the manor, searching for the truck's key fob.

"Ahhh, there we go."

The door swung open with a shunt of her shoulder and she jumped down onto the rough pavement, her knees wobbling. All of her training in the past while was slowly destroying her. She hoped that she wasn't over-training herself and would be useless in combat. She slammed the door shut, turning around and pressing the lock button on the key fob. The truck's parking lights flashed, and the alarm made a tiny _beep._ She brushed some hair out of her face as she crossed over to the red Stallion across from her. Since she had pulled up, a woman had gotten out and was leaning against the hood, dressed to the nines in a fabulous double-breasted wine red trench coat, black high-waisted dress pants, and a relatively plain black dress shirt underneath the coat, collar popped. The calf-length strappy boots were fantastic as well.

 _Weiss like_

"Shut up, me." she muttered under her breath.

She approached the woman with a pleasant smile. The woman did _not_ return the smile.

"Hi, you must be Cinder."

A bubble of gum was blown in her direction.

"I am."

Weiss was a little startled by the lack of response.

"Uh, p-pleased to meet you. I'm Weiss."

"I know."

This was a first for her. Usually _she_ was the one who was standoffish and brusque. Being on the receiving end of it was a new experience. And not a particularly good one.

"I, uh… I'm here. For training."

"Uh huh."

The sunglasses Cinder was wearing were almost entirely black, and reflecting both her and the absurdly long truck and trailer behind her. Weiss blinked at her.

"I'm sorry?"

The woman rolled her eyes at her. She pulled off her sunglasses and tucked them into her coat and stepped forward. Her hand extended. Weiss was a little wary. This woman was quite a bit taller than her, but not hugely so, like her sister. The woman gestured to her hand again.

"Go on."

Weiss shook the woman's hand nervously. Never before had a woman intimidated her so much. Not even _Ruby_ was this frightening. She tried to find a common ground

"I like your car."

"It's not my car. It's Pyrrha's."

She noted the pointed use of ' _it's'_ instead of ' _it was'_ in this instance.

"It's a lovely colour. I like that you've kept it so nice."

"Better to take it out and actually use it. It's been sitting under a cover in my garage for five months. Thought I oughta take it out and use it once in a while, and today seemed a good enough excuse."

"It looks brand new. Manual?"

"Nah, auto. I taught Pyr to drive in this car, and I didn't want to have to pay to replace clutches in a brand new car."

Weiss nodded.

"I see. They're not expensive, are they?"

Cinder shrugged.

"'Bout thirty-three hundred lien."

"Oh, that's not so bad."

The woman blinked at her.

"That's ten percent the price of the car."

Weiss bit her lip.

"Oh."

"Tsk. Rich girl."

"Sorry."

She was waved off.

"Don't worry about it. I'm… in a mood today."

"Hey, happens to everyone."

"Nah, not like this. This is my best friend's car, and I haven't driven it since before she died, and I feel bad about it. It's just getting to me. Sorry if I seem kinda dickish."

"No, no, I understand, it's okay. I was the same way for a while. We're not to be blamed for our feelings, ma'am."

Cinder's sour look softened for a moment.

"Don't call me 'ma'am', it makes me feel so old. I get it enough from my students, thanks."

"Oh yeah, you're a teacher."

"At Haven. It's an okay job. Keeps me entertained."

"Teaching is… entertaining?"

She shrugged.

"Pays the bills. Keeps food on the table for me and my daughter."

"Amber, right?"

"That's right. The love of my life. Named after my mother, actually."

"I read somewhere that she was the last Fall Maiden."

Cinder sighed.

"She was. Died when I was very little. About three or four years old. I almost don't remember."

"Does that mean the power was passed on to you?"

Cinder didn't answer verbally. She pushed off from the hood of the car and pulled off her coat, setting it down gently with the buttons facing up so they didn't scratch the paint. She stepped away while rolling out her shoulder. Weiss watched diligently as the woman turned around and held her arms to her sides, palms forward and eyes closed. With a breath, she opened her eyes. They were on _fire._

"Whoa!"

Weiss gasped, watching the woman float off the ground, engulfed completely in flames. She noticed that the heat of the flames didn't reach her, almost as if they were imaginary and just an interesting visual effect. Two huge plumes of fire surrounded the woman's hands as she brought her hands up beside herself in an impressive display.

"This enough of an answer for you?"

"Uh huh…"

She self-extinguished, falling back to the ground with the grace of a cat and with the silence of a butterfly. It was astonishing.

"Sorry, sometimes I forget that people can do that…"

"Only four of us. Besides, can't you do that too?"

"Catch fire? No!"

"No, float. I remember the Vytal festival from a couple of years ago, can't you do that?"

Weiss thought for a second.

"Well, I can do _this."_ She jumped up and formed a glyph beneath her feet, standing up on it and keeping herself balanced. She towered over Cinder, almost a full three feet higher up. "I don't know if this counts, though."

"Dunno, I can't do _that."_

"Yeah, but, my sister can do this too. We're not maidens or anything."

Weiss let herself go and fell, landing a lot harder than Cinder had, having to actually steady herself. She realized that yes, indeed the training was getting a little too intense. Her legs hurt quite badly.

"Your form's a little off."

"Thanks to a severe ass-whooping from a friend of mine. And what are you, my combat instructor?"

"If you attended Haven, yes. That's my job."

"See, if you had opened with that earlier, then I'd have agreed that teaching is fun."

"Yeah, hindsight I should've."

Weiss sniffled, leaning against the hood of Pyrrha's car.

"You know, I think this is the first time I've met a Maiden."

"Yeah, it's not all that it's cracked up to be. It's just a slightly less convenient semblance, and then for some reason people look up to you and put you on this pedestal of supposed hierarchy and status that doesn't really match who you are. I don't really think I _should_ be a Maiden, but _voila_ , here we are."

"I bet your daughter thinks you deserve it."

Cinder chuckled, leaning on the hood next to her.

"Awful sweet thing to say, Schnee."

"Well, I heard that the reason you have a daughter isn't particularly sweet, though."

Cinder's face fell.

"Nah, it's not. I try not to think about it. I mean, I'm glad that Amber exists and that I had her. I just regret who I had her with. Is that an okay way to feel?"

"I can castrate him for you, if you like." Weiss suggested.

Cinder smiled.

"That's why we're training you, isn't it?"

"Uhh…."

"I'm joking, I'm joking. Please excuse me."

"Just caught me by surprise. Everyone else seems to have reasons to not approach him."

"Mine is more out of spite than anything. He doesn't deserve to even know he has a daughter."

"But you could take him by yourself, right?"

"Without even raising a finger."

"But you don't, out of spite."

"Yup. He can fuck himself. I've sworn to never approach him, not after what he's done. It's just not worth it to me. Worth it to you, though. That's why I'm helping you."

"Damn."

Weiss paused for a moment, seeing the disdain in her eyes boil and slowly fade away.

"Sorry, I just don't want to get into that. He's scum, and you're right to take him down more than I would be."

"Good thing you're training me, then."

"Yeah, good thing. Oh, and if you can get him back for Pyr too, that'd be great."

"I'll certainly try my best."

"You'll be fine."

Weiss swallowed, scratching her head and looking away.

"So, uh…I look forward to starting. With…" she looked back to the long race trailer. "...whatever you have planned."

"Something strenuous. I hope you're ready."

"Your instructions were kinda weird for preparation, if I'm honest."

"I don't see how it would be, I thought it was pretty straight forward."

Weiss reached into the pocket of her jeans and pulled out the slip of paper with her instructions on it.

"Alright, you said ' _show up to Shobu Lake at nine-thirty, November second, with a performance car from pre-nineteen-ninety-five with no electronic driver aids. Wear comfortable shoes.'_ I didn't know if you were serious on any of this."

"'Course, I was serious. Don't you get what I'm gonna have you do?"

"Not... especially."

Cinder cracked out her back, a pained look in her eyes.

"Driving takes skill, everyone knows that. Driving _quickly_ takes reflexes. The faster your reflexes, the faster you can drive. Now, I've seen you fight, your reflexes aren't bad, but you've never really been in danger."

"But… the Vytal-"

"Not dangerous enough. You're under a safety net of medics, aura monitors, referees. Things that generally are there to keep you alive and safe. But when you're _driving…_ " she gestured behind her, towards the lake. "You take all responsibility into your own hands. Aura might save you from getting hit in the stomach by a spear, but it's not gonna stop you dying in a car crash. What _will_ is your body to react faster than you can see or think."

"I have the fastest draw speed of any of my friends."

Cinder shrugged. "Sure, but what about under pressure? Or against someone who _is faster?"_

"Fair point, I guess."

"Indeed."

"So, why here?"

"This is Shobu Lake. There's a road that runs the circumference of the lake, it's about eight kilometres long, runs through some of the forest too."

Weiss blinked.

"You want me to drive on a road."

"I want you to _race_ on the road. It's not the best road conditions, it's certainly no prepped race track. There's potholes, sand, missing sections of barrier, standing water… wild animals."

"R-really? You want me to… race?"

"Yeah. See if you can beat my time in Pyr's car."

"What time is that?"

Cinder shook her head, a sly smile on her lips. "Won't tell you 'till you beat it."

Weiss nodded. "Okay. This is certainly weird."

"Racing's all I know."

"What about being a combat professor?"

"Racing is one of two things I know. Besides, this is more fun, right? Haven't you been punched in the face enough recently?"

Fair point.

"I have, I appreciate you accommodating me."

Cinder clapped her hands together. "Right! Let's see what you brought to drive!"

Weiss pushed off from the hood of the Stallion, moving sheepishly back over to her truck and trailer.

"It's nothing much. I didn't know what I wanted to bring or what really fit your criteria. My first thought was the green RRS-"

"Oh, you brought Emmy's RRS? Sweet, I haven't seen that car in forever!"

"Well, yes, I brought _my_ RRS, but found out five feet out of my garage that it's so unbelievably harsh to drive that I maybe should tune it."

"Yeah, it's touring car-bad."

"So I swung by my brother's shop with it on a flatbed trailer to have him tinker with it for a day and hopefully sort out the car's ludicrously stiff ride, and I noticed that he'd driven his car to work instead of his X-10 Custom."

"Oh hoh?"

"You read _Muscle Truck_ magazine?"

"Yeah."

"It was last year's April issue cover car."

Cinder cocked her eyebrows.

"Oh _that_ truck?"

"Yeah."

"You… you brought a customized fifty-year-old pickup truck to a street race?"

Weiss smirked. "No, I brought his completely original Hunter Cabrio."

"Aw, I love the Cabrio! First gen, with the flip-up headlights?"

"Yes, indeed. Flip-up headlights is where it's at."

"Oh, you're a woman of my heart. Colour is it?"

"Sunburst Yellow."

It looked like her trainer was about to go weak at the knees.

"Perfect. In every way. I want to see it."

"Well, it's at the front of the trailer. Behind three other cars."

"The hell else do you have?!"

"So in order to get my cars from Atlas to Anima, and then all the way down to Mistral, you need to pay a lot of import taxes and transfer fees, especially for more than one car. So I called Sun, and he was willing to use his race team's pull with the customs people to sign them off as professional race cars as a part of his team."

"Really? He can do that?"

"He's a nice guy."

"I know, I went to middle school with him."

"Anyway, in order to allow _me_ to transfer the vehicles across the border, I technically had to be an employee of the race team, so he 'hired' me as a grease monkey for however long I needed to be here in Mistral. And that technically makes him the most powerful man in Atlas, by default."

Cinder frowned as they approached the trailer. "How?"

"He's my boss. And I am _everyone else in Atlas's_ boss. I own and operate the SDC which owns every single other conglomerate within the border walls of my country, and several other international companies as well."

"You do realize he's gonna go mad with power, right?"

"He lent me his race trailer and is teaching me balance, so he can go mad with whatever he wants." She slapped the side of the fibreglass trailer, painted in the red and yellow _SSSN Racing_ livery he favoured. "He also lent me a car."

"He _what."_

Cinder was absolutely flabbergasted. It took a lot of effort to not laugh at her expense.

"Yeah, When I told him what I was doing, he offered to lend me a proper race car. It's a Kinkaid prototype of some kind. Mid engined, stupid fast. It's one of those twenty-four hour enduro cars. I told him no originally, but he said the car was in the trailer when he lent it to me, and he was 'too lazy' to take it out. Even though it was put in after the Cabrio and the RRS."

"That's absolutely something he'd do."

"I mean, he leant me his Bo staff for training, the only thing he has left to loan me is his wife."

"Heh heh, yeah." Cinder chuckled. "Wouldn't we all like that. So you're gonna drive the race car, right?"

"Nope. See, while I was in Mistral, I got a call from a business partner of mine who told me there was a charity auction going on for classic cars, and one of mine was going up for sale and he wanted to know if I wanted to come watch the outcome. Naturally, I was curious to see what it might go for so I went yesterday and… accidentally bought another car."

"Oh no, what'd you buy?"

"How about I show you? Stay here."

Cinder waved her approval. Weiss turned with a smirk, rounding the back of the trailer and out of sight of her associate. She opened both of the thumbprint locks with a short and metallic _click,_ opening the latches on the back of the trailer. The door came down with a soft whirring of the electric cable winches, revealing the wide, low back end of the car she'd chosen. The odd-shaped trapezoidal taillights glinting back at her, the centre-exit twin tailpipes, the _massive_ rear wing. She tried not to shiver in lust.

The space between the wall of the trailer and the car's door was only a few inches wide, _barely_ enough to squeeze her legs through. She almost would have needed to take her pants off for the last couple of millimetres of space. Almost. Lucky for her, the car had a signature feature that aided in entry and egress in confined spaces, namely the scissor-hinged doors that pivoted upwards instead of outwards. A gaudy look on a modded hatchback, yes, but absolutely _class_ on this classic supercar. it was a squeeze to get in, even with the doors in the folded-up position, as the sills were unnaturally wide to accommodate the tubular chassis and angular bodywork. She fell into the supple leather bucket seat with a groan.

"Ow."

Now, for the hardest maneuver in the known driving universe. Reversing one of these cars. The correct way to reverse a normal automobile is to grab the back of the passenger seat, twist your torso around, and look straight out the back window to what's behind the car. Not possible in the car she'd chosen today, as the rear window was about an inch and a half tall, which would have been okay if not for the fact that the car's ostentatious rear wing completely obscured rearward visibility anyways.

"Right. Ugh. I hate this part."

She pushed in the other _worldy_ heavy clutch pedal, her calve groaning the whole way down, and twisted the dash-mounted key all the way to the right. The starter engaged, spinning the engine over a few times before lighting it off. All _twelve_ cylinders immediately started to breathe fresh, crisp air through the intake just behind her ears. She blipped the gas a few times to get fuel to cycle through the engine properly, hearing it settle to a smooth, sonorous idle.

"Oh, but I don't hate _that_ part of it." she shivered.

With the door still open, she pulled her butt out of the seat and sat on the doorsill, keeping her foot on the clutch, With her whole torso out of the car, she could see past the car's wide arches and fat rear end and out the trailer, and this made it quite a bit easier to roll the car backwards and down the loading ramp. As soon as the low nose was clear of the trailer, she slid back down into the seat, reached forward to pull the door down, and fumbled the gated shifter into first gear, which was all the way left and _down,_ where second gear was in literally every other transmission ever. With another blip of throttle, she muscled the car back around to Cinder, who was watching her wide-eyed with her mouth hanging open.

"Is that…" she said as Weiss rolled the car to a stop in front of her, lifting the door again to get out. "... A Torero?"

"A Torero 5000 QV, actually. I'll admit, not in the best condition, but a strong runner for sure."

"It's _beautiful."_

"Now you see why I had to buy it. The Crystal White with white wheels helped too. This thing is full-on _Mistrali Vice_. All I need is an unbuttoned flowery shirt and half a tonne of cocaine on my desk and I'll look like a _real_ Torero owner."

"Holy hell, Schnee. This thing is… somethin' else. I almost don't want you to drive it, it's too nice."

"Ah, it's not that nice. The air conditioning doesn't work, there's a few rips in the seats, and the gauges don't light up anymore, but crucially the engine works, and that's all I care about. Besides, better to drive it than let it slowly rust in my garage and never see the light of day again."

"How much you pay for it?"

"Eh, like three hundred thou. A bargain, really."

Cinder levelled a look at her, annoyed. The car idled sweetly in front of them.

"What?"

"That's more than my house."

"Right. I forgot I have a different scale of wealth than everyone else. I'm sorry."

"How about you make up for it by getting out there and beating my time, huh?"

Weiss chuckled nervously.

"I'll certainly try."

/.../

Another botched gear change.

"God, what am I, sixteen again?"

She fought with the transmission and clutch again, searching for the weirdly placed second gear. As soon as the lever had been slotted neatly into its position in the gated disk, she matted the accelerator again and forced the car along the road. All four hundred and forty nine thoroughbred Mistrali horses fired downwards through the widest rear tires she'd ever seen, propelling her forward and squishing her into the low seat. She couldn't help grinning with every squeeze of the skinny pedal as the big V-twelve sang out.

"That's more like it. Stupid clutch."

The car wasn't anywhere near as nimble and agile as the striking good looks promised. It had no power steering for one, and no antilock brakes either, a fact she learned quite frighteningly at the end of the very first straight on the Shobu Lake course. It wasn't as smooth as a well sorted Cavallo like Dean's, nor as millimetrically perfect as the heavily modified RRS coupe she'd bought from the stuttering therapist. But once she had the wheel straight again, by _golly_ was it an experience.

"That's more like it!"

The big car moved in a different way to any other car she owned. It _attacked_ the road with no regard for anyone around and most certainly _in_ itself. The engine produced this wave of torque that ramped up _hard_ as the revs reached and exceeded about fifty-five hundred on the dial. And every time it did, the fat rear tires threatened to lose traction and spin her around. She slammed the old transmission into third, pushing the car faster and faster down the road. It certainly had a good amount of lateral grip as she dove it around a long left hand sweeper, where the road dropped concerningly off down to the lake.

"You…" she grunted, her arms about to give out. The road straightened. She dropped the hammer. "There we go. Ow."

This was surprisingly as dangerous as Cinder had said. She had assumed that because she was driving a car on a road, the place where such a thing was supposed to be, that it would be fine. But it turned out the vintage supercar was actively trying to murder her as she pushed it to and above a hundred miles per hour. Even her Klasse-7, which was significantly more powerful and technologically diverse, didn't feel this way. It made its power very linearly, and made funny turbo noises and would absolutely blitz into the three-hundred kilometre per hour club. But _this_ car. The Torero. Ugh.

"Yeah!" she cheered, floating the car around some potholes and around a significant right hand corner. "Oh, shit!"

She had to absolutely destroy the middle pedal, heel-toeing down into second gear again as a sharp, left hand hairpin turn. She tried to heel-toe into first gear, briefly locking the front tires as she missed the revs a little when she let up on the clutch. The car unbalanced, but unbalanced to the left in her favour. She squirted down on the yes pedal, catching a patch of sand on the apex of the corner and briefly losing control of the car, sliding it sideways in a cloud of tire smoke and sandy dust.

"Woo!" She slammed the car into second, losing a bit of grip as the car tried to grunt its rear tires off again. "This thing's an animal!"

The radio in the cupholder beeped. " _You're still two minutes behind. Pick up the pace."_

"Oh, come on!" she picked up the radio. "Give me _something,_ this thing's hard to drive!"

" _I can hear you short shifting. Carry some more speed."_

Short shifting? She'd been changing up at seventy-two hundred RPM. That's where the redline started. She put the radio down and held her foot to the floor, and watched the revs climb. And climb. And _climb._ The noise of the motor changed as she exceeded the seventy-two hundred.

"Oh, _oh!"_

See, she liked the way that Ruby's truck sounded at full chat. It was brutish, muscular, and lumpy in its sound quality. It was distinctly Valean, with the oversized camshaft, paint-can sized pistons, trio of carburetors, and off-cycle firing order that made it sound so humble yet powerful. _However._ If she was comparing animal to cars, and the rumble of Blaze-Charger was a sleepy but moody grizzly bear, the noise the Torero made was a soulful, baleful _howl_ of an injured wolf. As the revs climbed to _eighty-four hundred_ the motor absolutely _sang_ a beautiful concerto out of the short titanium exhaust, ripping through the forest and reverberating off the trees.

"Oh, that's so much better!"

 _Now_ the car moved the way she thought it was supposed to. It dove into corners much more assuredly, and it accelerated away from everything so much _smoother._ Still blindingly violent and completely out of control, but now she was ready for it. The engine didn't lug anymore, and the clutch didn't feel like it was cemented in place. It was so _maniacal_ and visceral.

"I love this car!"

/.../

Cinder watched the white blur move around the course she'd set up, seeing it slide sideways in a cloud of tire smoke and shrieking engine noise through a pair of binoculars.

"She's good."

"B-better th-than you?" her accomplice asked, leaning against the tree they were sitting in.

"Pretty good, not that good."

"Ni-nice car, th-though."

"Yeah, so much more than I expected. I was hoping for like, a nice Klasse-5 or something. Damn rich girl." She checked her stopwatch and picked up the radio again. "You picked up four seconds, keep it going."

"Y-you kno-ow that sh-she can't beat y-your posted t-time."

"Yeah, neither could I, I made it up on purpose."

"W-why?"

"Because I want her to push past her own limits."

Cinder held out her hand and summoned herself her bow, and an arrow to go with it. She knocked the arrow and drew the string back, tracing the path of the car with the head.

"Did she buy the 'nice dad' trick?"

"Ho-ook, line, a-and s-s-sinker."

She smirked. It _was_ going to plan.

"Good. Then let's see if she buys _this."_

/.../

"Come on, car, make me proud. I'm trusting you."

She slid the car around a particularly rough, potholed corner, bouncing the car's original suspension components quite violently, but applying the same amount of gumption to the happy go fast loud pedal and taking off in a flurry of mad acceleration.

"Yeah! Why don't I do this more oft-"

Out of nowhere, the road in front of her _exploded_ in a ball of fire and smoke. She wasn't prepared for this, slamming her foot into the brake pedal and locking all four tires. The smoke cleared before she reached it, revealing a substantial hole in the pavement. It took her about a thousandth of a second to realize she was skidding directly towards the hole, and would certainly end up with the beautiful vintage supercar _in it._ Her body reacted for her, turning the wheel to the left and matting the gas pedal. The tires grabbed traction and immediately changed lanes with a harsh pull on her seat belt. The car punted forward, the right side tires overhanging the hole and floating for a moment.

"Fuck!"

The car began to rotate to the right. She desperately tried to countersteer, but it was too late. The car's heavy back end was swinging and it was going, no amount of brake pedal or accelerator was going to save it from turning backwards. She decided to roll with it and put the clutch in and spun the steering wheel back the other way, forcing the car to pirouette all the way around. She pulled in and down on the gear stick as hard as she physically could, slamming the transmission into first gear as the nose came back around forward. She dropped the clutch and slammed her shoe _through_ the gas pedal and lighting the car off again in the direction of the track. She picked up the radio, _livid._

"The fuck was that?! An IED?!"

" _A little motivation. Go faster."_

"Fuck's sake!"

She tossed the radio into the passenger footwell. The sound of the Torero's fabulous engine changed in that instant. It became _angry._ All six of the car's carburetors opened up and started to suck gallons and gallons of air in over her shoulders. The clutch and brakes were getting close to running out, but they certainly still had enough life left for the day.

The car _roared_ as it forced its way through the forest, the edges of the road blurring out of focus at the sides of the windshield. Another explosion went off. This time she was anticipating it, and moved the car out of the way, even though she was moving around a hundred and twenty kilometres per hour, right around the speed at which the car's substantial rear wing started to create lift instead of downforce. It actually served to re-balance the car as it took some of the sledgehammer-like weight off the rear end. Every touch of the steering wheel unsettled the car now, as it danced around the road, completely loose and floaty. _Now_ it was getting dangerous. But she was undeterred. She had a laptime to beat. Around another corner was a substantial rise in the road over a fairly steep hill. She pointed the car directly at it, and held her foot against the firewall and watched the revs and speed climb alarmingly quickly.

"Come on…"

She slammed the transmission into fifth, the needles twisting further and further up. The car crested the hill, and all four tires left the ground. The car nosed-up like an aircraft taking off. Although, with the size of the rear wing she wouldn't have been surprised if she actually did take off and start to fly. She slammed on the brakes to stop the rear wheels spinning and transfer the rotational torque into the bodywork and force the car to nose-down.

"Oh shit, oh _shit, oshitoshit!"_

There was a deer in the road. She had time to imagine what would happen if she hit the deer about seventy different ways as the car soared through the air. A plan came to her, barely with enough time to enact it. The car slammed into the road _hard,_ grinding against the ground and throwing a huge plume of sparks out from the rear end as the transmission pan and suspension subframe ripped across the pavement. She bounced in her seat quite violently as the car rocked upwards, her spine compressing and knocking loudly. Through the pain, she yanked the wheel to the right and pivoted the car, ripping up on the parking brake lever between the seat and the door sill and initiating a harsh skid to the right, dropping the brake again and letting the car pivot its bulk around the animal's butt and onto the dirt shoulder.

The engine _screamed_ as she pushed it onto the rev limiter, tossing two massive rooster tails of gravel into the forest as the car slid sideways past the deer, spooking it off across the road and out of her way. Or at least, it should have moved. The deer remained stationary throughout the whole maneuver, as if it was deaf. Or, fictional. As soon as the car was pointing straight again, albeit with most of a driveway's worth of gravel in the rear diffuser and a county's worth of dirt pasted on the back of the car, she powered off again, checking in her mirror for the deer.

"What th-" the deer was gone. As if it had just disappeared. "Oh, I get it. It's that therapist. And her illusions."

She forced the car up another gear.

"Alright, I'll play your game, Miss Fall. And I'll win, too."

Down went the hammer.

/.../

It was a heck of a hike up the hill to the location she'd been given. Her GPS almost didn't know where she was as she was out of the range of most satellite paths. But the _Grimm Territory_ alarms certainly knew where she was, continuously going off in her pocket. She was within a mile of the edge of Atlas Military protected terrain, and the edge of no man's land where the empty Grimm plains began. She huffed, having to catch her breath. She'd been walking for around two _hours_ now, having only made it about twenty kilometres into the trail in her truck before reaching an impassable cliff she had to climb.

It was a surprise at just how capable the Blaze-Charger her brother had rebuilt for her was. The selectable locking differentials had proved extremely useful for finding that last ounce of traction in the snowy Atlas terrain, meaning she never had to get out to put the twelve _thousand_ pound winch on the front brush guard. It took about one particularly deep puddle to realize the exact reason that Ruby liked her own OG version of this truck.

But, alas, she had to get out of her big cushy SUV and walk after reaching a literal _cliff_ in her way on the trail, meaning she'd have to actually use her legs to finish the journey. And climb the cliff. And wade knee-deep through a frigid stream. And scramble up an actual _vine ladder_ to get up a ledge. She'd stopped for breakfast two hours in, at the edge of a cliff overlooking the valley below. It wasn't often she made food for herself, and the thermos of Chamomile tea had stayed nice and hot even in her backpack. The little sandwiches were very good, even if they were made from regular grocery store ham, lettuce, and off the shelf mayonnaise on bakery-fresh multigrain bread. She'd made herself four, and eaten two of them. It took all of her self control to _not_ eat the other two as well.

Her instructions this time around were concise and to the point. ' _Comfortable hiking attire, service pistol; free choice, field rifle; 89k,'_ along with GPS coordinates. Her next trainer was either a member of the Atlesian army or a serious cosplay enthusiast, fully into the bit, including full minute and second military directions and an insistence of field-accurate gear. It almost felt like it would be Ruby who was issuing the training. This was absolutely her style. Although the handwriting was different, and also Ruby never used letter headed dot-matrix stationary. This was clearly a professional. Not to say Ruby _wasn't,_ she just wasn't that interested in this much detail.

The rifle weighed down on her shoulder. The leather strap was cutting through even her thick suede overcoat, the fine mahogany furniture bumping painfully into her hip as the gun bounced around on her back. The worst part was how the strap was pushing her gun deeper into the holster under her arm, and pushing the hammer up and into the fleshy part of her armpit, meaning she kept having to adjust it over her body.

Once she crested the hill, she _finally_ saw her trainer. If she hadn't been wearing her contacts, she'd have _sworn_ it was Ruby, as the woman sitting on a stool a hundred feet away had a rifle across her lap, the bolt removed and the action in pieces in her hands, a tube of grease between her teeth. She seemed short, no taller that she herself was, and was wearing a thick red hooded coat and dark grey urban-camouflage cargo pants. The only non-Ruby thing about this woman was the navy blue toque she was wearing, pulled down over her left eye in a very angsty modern hipster kind of way. Cute, for sure. Just a little out of her style. She smiled as she approached. The woman noticed her, and put the gun aside.

"Good morning. I apologize for my tardiness, I stopped for lunch along the way."

The woman nodded at her and got off her stool, adjusting her belt and stepping forward. Weiss quickly noticed the pair of plastic folding tables absolutely _covered_ with guns. Rifles, handguns, revolvers, SMGs, and every kind of attachment she could conceivably imagine. It actually was a little awe-inspiring. This is exactly what she imagined Ruby's thought process looked like on a daily basis. Tonnes upon tonnes of steel and brass. Weiss put her hand out to shake, and the woman reached forward to shake it, after first removing her shooting gloves.

"It's a pleasure to meet you."

The woman said nothing in response, only nodding again. As Weiss retracted her hand from the masculine grip, she noticed that something had been slipped into her palm. A folded piece of paper, in fact. More instructions? Hadn't she already been given instructions for this go around? She unfolded it, having to squint as the lettering was very small.

"What is this?"

The woman pointed to paper again. Weiss frowned.

"You want me to read it aloud?"

A nod.

"Alright." she cleared her throat. "' _Good morning FNG Schnee, my name is May Zedong, and this is weapons handling and target acquisition practice.'_ Well, I knew that. ' _You will be firing in three different drills, all in five shot bursts. You will start with pistol shooting, move to SMG, and finish with long-range sniping. You will run timed drills, starting with five seconds between shots, going down to one second. If you miss or go over the time, I will provide encouragement."_

She turned to the woman on the stool.

"What do you mean encouragement?" Another gun was brandished in her face. This one had an air tank for a butt stock and a hopper filled with little green balls attached to the top of the barrel. She winced. "A paintball gun? Please, this coat is very expensive, I'd like to not get it covered in paint."

The trainer opened up the hopper and pulled a ball out in her fingers. She flung it at a rock, and Weiss was surprised to see it bounce harmlessly off and into a bush.

"Oh, rubber balls. Isn't that a _little_ harsh?"

A pair of accusatory eyebrows were raised in her direction, as if to challenge her to question their methods. The woman pointed towards the left table with a shake of her head. Weiss shrugged and approached it, sliding her backpack off and setting it down, using it as a pillow for her rifle. She was glad to finally have it off her back as it was getting significantly more uncomfortable with every step, and now that it was off her shoulders _sang_ reprieve. She looked down to the table. It was more handguns than she figured any one person ought to sensibly have in their possession. The targets were off in the distance. A little too far for her taste. She turned back to May.

"D'you… want me to use my own gun, or one of yours?"

She nodded in her direction. Weiss shrugged and unbuttoned her jacket and undid the belt, reaching into and under her arm for her weapon, popping the button and lifting the chrome plated revolver up and out of its holster and placed it carefully on the table. She reached down to her bag and grabbed her ear defenders and shooting glasses, and a pouch full of preloaded speedloaders and a box of .357 ammunition. She placed it on the table and went to reach for the gun again. Her trainer stood up and moved over, frowning at her. Before Weiss had a chance to pick up her gun, it was in May's hands and levelled to the horizon. The trigger was pulled.

After a beat of nothing happening, she shook her head and put the gun down again. May pointed to the table of pistols instead of the _very expensive_ revolver. Weiss guessed that it was because the weapon was single action only, and in hindsight that wouldn't have been fast enough for speed trials, especially with a paintball gun pointed at her back. She put the gun back in its holster and put the bullet bag away, sliding her protective green glasses on and pulled her ear defenders on. To be fair, the guns on the table certainly left her spoiled for choice. She knew enough about guns from listening to Ruby's morning radio show to know a good gun from a bad gun, but with the amount of options on the table, there wasn't really anything that could be classified as 'bad' per se.

"How about this?" she picked up a particularly tactical-looking matte black Baratta A9M3 Service, the gun favoured by the ASF. This one even had a green laser pointer on the picatinny rail on the bottom of the frame.

May pursed her lips and nodded, giving her a 'so-so' gesture with her hand, leaning herself back on the stool. Weiss took this as a good enough approval, turning back to the targets, having to squint a little bit to see them. This distance would be far enough for most rifle ranges, a little out of it for pistol shooting. But that was the rules she'd been set, so that's what she'd have to do. She picked up one of the gun's slightly scraped and dinged magazines and pushed up up the magwell, feeling it click into place. The right-handed safety was a little awkward, but she got it down and racked the slide, chambering one of the fairly small nine millimetre rounds.

"Okay…" she paused, looking over her shoulder to May, who had a stopwatch in her hand and a shooting clock in her lap. "Wait for the signal?"

A nod. Weiss cricked out her neck and brought herself next to the table, giving a better line on the target. She made sure her hands were comfortably around the grip and her thumbs parallel to the slide, the weapon pointed safely at the ground, her finger off the trigger. She waited. The device beeped. She levelled the gun to the first target, keeping the laser off as it would be ineffective at this distance, estimating the approximate barrel lift needed and pulled the trigger.

The gun bucked back in her hand, spitting brass out the side and settling rather quickly. After a beat, a faint _ping_ went off as the first target flopped backwards. A reasonable shot. She levelled the pistol again, lining up on the second target and pulled the trigger again. The vented barrel and slotted slide made the recoil effortlessly manageable, meaning she could get a line on the next target very quickly, hearing the _ping_ ring out again over the valley. She fired again. Another hit. She smirked.

"Alright."

She pulled the trigger, firing off another and immediately lining up on the final target. However, much to her dismay, there was no ping. There was instead a _poof_ and a small cloud of dirt just over the right shoulder of the target. Before the thought to turn back and fire on it again even _began_ to enter her mind, there was a loud _pop_ followed by a searing pain in her back.

"Ow!" she turned, keeping the barrel of the gun pointed down range, unlike May's gun which was pointed directly at her, still smoking. "That's gonna leave a bruise!"

The woman just raised the stopwatch again. Weiss rolled her eyes and turned around to the targets again, her back stinging like she'd been bitten. She skipped the fourth target and layed on the fifth, huffing and pulling the trigger again, wincing as the gun bounced backwards in her hands. The faint _ping_ in the distance was reassuring as it meant she wouldn't get shot again. She lowered the gun, admiring the four dropped targets. An impressive feat for someone who hadn't shot a gun in a while at nearly a hundred and fifty yards. She dropped the magazine out and placed it on the table, racking the slide into her palm to remove the unfired round from the chamber.

"Not so bad. I've certainly done worse." She looked back to her trainer. She didn't have a particularly impressed look on her face, and just held up the stopwatch again, holding up four fingers. "Oh, you're kidding."

She shook her head. Weiss shrugged with a sigh, and turned back to the targets, reloading the pistol and watching the targets flip themselves back up.

"Fine. Shooter ready."

/.../

Submachine guns were next on the list for training. She was getting used to the pain of being shot in the back at this point. Her spine certainly stung quite a bit, but she was doing her best to ignore it. She yanked back on the forward-mounted charging handle, twisting it up into the locking lug to hold it back. With the grip squeezed tightly in her left hand, she flipped the stock release switch and pulled it all the way out and locked it in place. She shoved the skinny thirty round magazine up the magwell, slapping her right palm over the top of the foregrip and across the charging handle, releasing it from the notch and letting it spring into battery. She pushed the fire selector into three-round burst and brought the gun up level.

"Shooter ready." She winced.

The buzzer sounded. She quickly lined the first target up in the range-adjusted red dot sight and pulled the trigger, feeling the gun bounced back into her shoulder three times in rapid succession. She pulled again, and once again the gun bounced backwards thrice. The target fifty yards out rang out six times, flopping backwards and out of sight. Before she had a chance to get shot in the back again, she lined up the next target and pulled the trigger twice. The flash suppressor on the end of the barrel was keeping her vision clear of the usually raucous fireball that shot out from the end of the very short gun. She'd nearly blinded herself at the shooting range in the middle of Atlas during her trip with Ruby after looking through her scope on an unsuppressed sniper rifle. The flash from that kind of round was enough to blind someone if they weren't ready. Lucky for her, she didn't experience pain in her left eye, so the blinding light hadn't hurt her.

She continued to lay out the targets with fair precision, remembering to aim just below the centre of mass to compensate for the muzzle lift this gun had. Aesthetically, not a pleasant weapon, with the _way_ oversized sight and weird skinny magazine, but it was certainly effective. The regular, pedestrian nine millimetre rounds, normally featured in handguns, were surprisingly precise coming out of the rapid-firing gun. It felt weird to know that fully automatic weapons were considered 'restricted' in Atlas, and were completely outlawed in Vale and Vacuo, and yet here she was, firing it with no fear of repercussion. Her PAL was only registered with the government for the ownership of her revolver, and technically made it illegal for her to own any other kind of firearm. She had to apply for a temporary rifle permit in order to purchase the 89k and carry it around with her, and that permit had only showed up twenty minutes before she was supposed to leave the house. She'd even bought a dummy rifle with no action in case it didn't arrive.

"Better, Weiss. Better." she mumbled, finishing off the targets and the magazine. She turned with a grin to her trainer. "How's that?"

Again, no answer, just a distracted look and a gesture to the stopwatch, this time accompanied by only two fingers being held up. Weiss huffed and reloaded, dropping the spent magazine into the dirt and pushing another one in, snapping the charging handle into battery with a roll of her eyes.

"Ugh, shooter ready."

The buzzer went.

"Fuck this."

She lit up each target on full auto, holding her finger down on the trigger for a moment on each, blasting the first three targets with ten rounds each instead of the required six. Since the magazine was empty and she still had two targets left, she dropped the empty mag out and slotted a new one in before the first had even touched the ground, smacking the charging handle into position without taking the sights off the fourth target, pulling the trigger again the _instant_ the bolt was fully forward, blasting the two targets remaining with the remaining rounds in the magazine. The targets pinged like a belltower at noon, flopping up and down as the bullets ripped into them, and the dirt around the final target exploded into clouds of brown dust.

"How about _n-"_

The sharp impacts of rubber balls on her stomach nearly made her buckle and fall, but she kept herself upright, _barely._ She grunted, dropping the gun onto the table and steadying herself on her knees. Two more balls hit her, finishing off all the missed shots, catching her in the shoulder and collarbone. Now she understood why padding was so crucial when playing paintball. Her body _screamed_ at the impacts, even though her aura was keeping her from sustaining broken bones, it wasn't stopping the pain and bruising of each shot.

"Fuck! Ow!"

She glared at the other woman, catching her exposed eye with a _trillion_ tonnes of anger. The woman kept her composure, and kept the paintball gun pointed directly at her. She seethed for a moment, catching her breath and straightening her back and brushing off her jacket.

"I don't believe it's a good idea to pester someone with a paintball gun who has a loaded firearm on their person."

May made no effort to respond, only gesturing to the stopwatch and holding up a single finger. Weiss twitched.

"Okay, if you want to be like that."

She reloaded, angrily treating the little SMG like it owed her money. With only one second between gut shots by the rubber balls, she would either need to run full auto or single shot, as the three round burst mode was actually too slow for her. She flipped the fire selector back to the the little picture of the single bullet, as opposed to the pictures of three and six, and brought the gun up to her shoulder again. She was irritated.

"Shooter. Ready."

The buzzer sounded.

She'd always been quick with a weapon, and reasonably accurate with a gun. The K&H submachine gun she'd been provided was proving itself more capable than even she was, even making her look far more competent than she actually was. She put a round on each of the targets, flicking the barrel to the next one before confirming each shot, firing across the line of targets and turning back around as they flipped back up into position. She hit them again, riding across the targets another two times well within the one second time limit for each shot. With the speed she could pull the trigger, the gun almost didn't need its full auto position on the fire selector. Her right palm remained open with the barrel shroud rested in it, keeping her thumb pointed away and level to the ground to allow the gun to return to its resting position much easier.

Once the magazine was nearly empty, she focused on the final target and pulled as fast as she could, landing four solid hits on it, firing almost as fast as the gun's automatic cycle speed. The very last round, however, flew wide over the target's head by no more than a few centimetres, exploding into the dirt. Weiss sighed as she lowered the gun from her shoulder, turning and making a dejected face at her silent trainer, who almost seemed to smirk.

"Ugh…"

 _Poof_

/.../

The rifle was heavy in her hands as she lifted it off the table. The wood furniture was rough, worn in and smooth around the trigger guard and just aft of the front sling mount, indications of years of use. This old rifle, unlike the Atlesian bolt-action she'd brought along, was of Valean descent and had seen actual war service during The Great War. A piece of history, far more interesting than the brand-new remanufactured 89k that had weighed her down for two hours. She inspected the old gun in her arms, flipping it over and rubbing her thumb against the series of vertical tick marks just below the receiver on the left side of the weapon. A testament to its effectiveness, she wondered.

With a deft hand, she pulled back on the side-mounted racking lug, locking the action open. These rifles were notorious for taking off their shooter's fingers in the process of reloading, as the action would slam shut as soon as the en bloc clip was pushed into place, whether there was anything in the way or not. She kept the butt of the gun pressed into her hip, holding it with her right hand as she grabbed one of the _field_ of loaded en bloc clips and lined it up with the feeding tray inside the action. She sniffled, wincing as she pulled the gun a little too hard into her bruised hip, before pushing the clip down into the action and holding it there. She retracted her fingers as fast as she could, narrowly avoiding the guillotine-like smash of the closing breech. She let out a breath, relaxing and flipping the safety flag over to the safe position. The N1 Cantius was a lovely rifle, for sure. But it _did_ feel a little agricultural and mechanical compared to the modern tactical Baratta and K&H guns.

"Right. Which set of targets d'you want me to use this time?" she asked, expecting either the decently far pistol range targets, or the fairly close SMG targets.

Neither, was the answer, with her trainer pointing backwards and behind her with her thumb. Weiss shrugged and moseyed over, slinging the rifle over her shoulder and around her back, following May around the stool and down a little dirt path to the edge of a short cliff, no more than a hundred feet above the valley. There were no targets in the immediate path.

"I don't… see…"

She was directed to a pair of telescopes, pointed down into the valley. She noticed that one telescope was significantly shorter than the other, and each one had a little note taped to the stand. _Long_ and _short._ She frowned.

"What's this? Where are the targets?"

May pointed over the cliff and into the distance, then gestured to the scopes. Weiss squinted into the distance, not seeing anything even resembling a target. She leaned down and looked into the first scope, labelled 'short'.

"What."

There was the target, right in the middle of a small clearing, just behind a wooden sign reading ' _2000 Yd'_ in black lettering. According to the scale painted on the target, she had about two meters of steel to hit. She stood up, and looked down at the rifle she'd been given, and then to May again.

"You seriously expect me to make a two thousand yard shot on open sights."

Her trainer nodded, stepping aside and putting her hands behind her back. Weiss blinked at her a few times, shrugging and shouldering the rifle. The clearing that the target was in was a mere _spec_ on the horizon, but she managed to find it, flipping up the gun's volley sights and placing the weapon onto her open palm. She tried her hardest to get the assumption of a target lined up, but every time she inhaled, the gun would lift and cover the clearing with the front post sight. She let her breath out and relaxed, getting it as steady as she could, and pulled the trigger.

The huge .30-06 round slammed the gun into her shoulder as the bullet disappeared into the valley. The gas-powered action cycled and loaded another round into the chamber with a snap of steel. She quickly lowered the gun and looked through the telescope, anxiously waiting to see if she'd landed even in the same timezone as the target. The range of the gun she'd been given was a generous seventeen hundred yards flat, but at that distance she'd be lucky to hit an aircraft hangar, let alone a two metre wide steel disc. After just under two seconds of flight time, the bullet impacted the ground, probably fifty yards short of the target in a big cloud of dust.

"Oh, this isn't possible."

She looked back to May, who luckily didn't have her paintball gun in her hands this time. The silent woman only nodded and gestured for her to try again. It really didn't seem possible to hit a target this far away, without even seeing it, from a shouldered position. She sighed and stood up again, and reshouldered the rifle. She did her best to control her breathing, keeping her stance fairly taut without locking her knees. She exhaled, lined up the sights with the mountain _above_ the clearing, and pulled the trigger.

The gun bucked, cycling and spitting hot brass past her face and into the dirt. Again, she looked through the telescope to the target, waiting the two seconds for the bullet to appear in frame, only to see it land short again, puffing up some more dirt. She wasn't any closer, but she did seem to be along the centreline of the target now. She stood up again, and tried four more shots, spaced out at two second intervals, without checking through the telescope. The N1 was happy to oblige, the automatic bolt cycle certainly made follow-up shots much easier as she didn't have to take her hands off the weapon. She paused her barrage a moment to look through the telescope. The last two rounds landed in quick succession, falling short of the target by around twenty yards.

"Aw, shit." she noticed the target still didn't have a scratch on it. "Yeah, this is just not a possible shot to make. Not on open sights."

She turned back to her trainer, who remained silent and gestured Weiss to hand over the gun. She did, passing it into the woman's arms. She sized it up, nudging her out of the way so she could stand in the same place, and shouldered the rifle. Weiss could hear her breathing slow then stop, as she prepared to take a shot. But before she did, her hand came up to her hat and lifted it off her head and stuffed it into the pocket of her coat. From her position at the woman's side, she couldn't quite see her other eye now that it was out from under the hat. May put the gun down a moment, leaning it against the telescope stand, and pulled her hair back into a ponytail. Weiss gasped.

"What's…" she started, unable to stop staring.

May didn't answer and just picked the gun up again, lining it up downrange once more. Now she understood why this woman always kept her hat down. Her left eye was completely black. There _was_ no white to the white of her eye, replaced instead with a deep charcoal black pigment that reflected no light back out. She couldn't see a pupil either, and until at the last moment the iris was invisible as well. For a brief millisecond, a soft blue ring illuminated in colour in her eye as she pulled the trigger.

For May, the gun didn't buck or lift. It stayed perfectly level in her hands, as if she had some kind of superhuman wrist strength to keep it in place. Before Weiss could comment, or even close her gaping mouth, the woman lowered the gun, turned to face her, and brought a hand up and started counting down on her fingers. Weiss watched as she counted out to zero, and then pointed out over the cliff. Weiss looked in that direction.

 _Ping_

"What, no. No way."

She dove for the telescope, looking through the lens at the target. And right, dead smack in the middle of the red circle of steel, was the unmistakable silver witness mark of a bullet. She stood up and directed herself to May, who'd already let her messy pink hair down and put her hat back on.

"I can't do that! I'm not a… I don't have…" she gestured to her own perfectly 'healthy' and normal left eye, hoping her trainer wouldn't notice the garish scar. "...special powers!"

Her trainer simply smirked and held the gun out for her again. Weiss took it, gingerly. It really didn't feel possible to do what she'd just witnessed. She turned back to the range and lined up again, trying to find that point on the horizon she'd been aiming at. After a beat, she found it, and prepared to fire. This was the point she found her trainer's left hand on her back and her right up under the barrel, carefully adjusting her stance. She got her to take a deep breath and slowly let it out. It took about a minute to finally empty her lungs, but as soon as she had, May nodded and stepped back. She pulled the trigger.

Without the same kind of muscular control as the sniper, the gun still moved around and punched her in the shoulder, nearly putting it out of its socket. The final brass casing ejected, taking the en bloc clip with it and making the signature ringing that the N1 was so famous for. She waited. The flight time of the bullet may have only been two and a half seconds, but the time for the sound of the shot to return was closer to seven. And it was a _long_ seven seconds as she impatiently waited for some kind of closure. Her heart raced.

 _Ping_

"Ha!" she dove for the telescope. Sure enough, there was a second impact mark on the red steel, about two centimetres above the bottom of the target. She'd almost missed, but then she hadn't.

"I did it!"

May nodded, another smirk on her face.

"What? Is that not good enough?" she accused. May said nothing.

Weiss sighed and put the gun down against the telescope stand. She stood up, expecting to be blasted by rubber balls again, but was instead handed _another_ gun.

"What's this?"

She took the rifle into her hands, if you could even call it that. The gun had no furniture, being basically a six-foot-long barrel and a skeleton stock, not even having a magazine or trigger guard. It was as stripped down as weapons came, but the ostentatious large magnification scope was certainly impressive. The scope itself was raised about six inches off the top of the barrel, and seemed to be pointed down at about a ten degree incline. May gestured to the longer of the two telescopes. She sniffled and approached it, carefully leaning her face to the aperture to as to not disrupt it. The target came into view, along with another distance sign. _7000 yd._

"Oh, you've gotta be fucking kidding me." she stood up, rifle lowered. " _That_ is impossible. I don't even care."

She looked through the telescope again.

"Also, that target is what, twenty centimetres across?"

Her trainer nodded. Weiss stood up.

"Alright, fine." with an aggressive flick, she pulled the bolt up and back, realizing quite quickly just _how far_ the bolt had to be pulled to open the chamber. "I'll give it a try, but I am promising nothing."

She held out her hand, and was presented with a bullet. Her eyes went wide with concern. The brass case alone was pushing sixteen or seventeen centimetres long, and the bullet protruded another five or six up from there. It was certainly longer than any .50 BMG she'd ever come across, and nearly as girthy as well. It almost looked and felt like a tank round. She took the substantial round in her fingers and lay it gently into the gun's chamber, closing the lengthy bolt and locking it down.

"This isn't gonna blow my arm off, is it?"

May made another 'so-so' gesture and stepped back. _Well_ back. Weiss rolled her eyes and shouldered the weapon. The hugely magnifying scope was much needed in this instance, as it allowed her to _just_ barely see the target as a pin-sized speck in the middle of the graduated crosshairs.

"Okay, here goes…"

She decided if May could cheat, so could she. As she was now, every centimetre of deviation left and right was a full hundred feet to either side of her target at this distance. A similar problem to this was that due to the curvature of the planet's surface, her target was actually around three meters further below the level line, and the bullet would naturally follow the curvature down and around. So her method of remedying this, since she didn't have a spooky shooting eye and superhuman wrists, was to use her own semblance to her advantage. With her hands still wrapped tightly around the gun, she spun a little glyph into existence just at the end of the barrel, locking it in like it was on a bipod or shooting bag. She lowered her right hand and leaned into the gun, wrapping her fingers over the stock to steady herself laterally. The safety was flipped off.

"Whooo…"

She exhaled. And fired.

With a colossal _bang_ and a huge plume of fire from the muzzle brake, the gun rocketed backwards and shattered the glyph like glass, crunching into her shoulder like she'd been hit by a train. Out of reflex, she let go with her left hand and let the gun fall backwards, holding it up from clattering into the dirt with her right. She fought the urge to yell out in pain, substituting it with a fairly masculine grunt. She winced as she leaned over to check the telescope. Still nothing yet. She looked back to May, who nodded at her. The flight time was going to be close to seven seconds, and the return of the sound of impact would be closer to _twenty._ She carefully unloaded the rifle and set the heavy ordinance upright against the telescope stand, and patiently waited. The beating of her heart was deafening, and the sting in her shoulder was overwhelming.

And then, almost completely silently...

 _ping_

"No. No way." she gasped, reaching for the telescope. "Ho-hohhhmygod."

In the upper right corner of the target was a witness mark of a bullet. Her eyes lit up, in complete disbelief. This was a six and a half _kilometre_ shot that she'd just made. Assisted, sure, but made.

"Holy fuck. Oh my god, I just did that. _Ohhhh."_

She looked back over to her trainer, who for the first time in the _four hours_ she'd been there, opened her mouth and spoke.

"Good shot."


	40. Chapter 40: Close Encounters

**Chapter 77**

She wiped her nose on her sleeve. The fall weather was doing a number on her allergies, especially with the chill running through the air. She groaned, reaching for the seven-eighths socket and clicking it into her ratchet. It had taken a good part of three hours to find all the sockets and wrenches from when she'd spilled her kit the other day. That had been a _royal_ pain. She picked up the heavy starter motor from the bench and lazily sauntered over to the side of the hoist with the switch panel. She stuffed the ratchet into the pocket of her overalls, freshly cleaned and with _new_ grease and oil on them. She yawned into the back of her hand, and pressed the up button on the hoist.

The old blue truck juddered and started to lift up off the ground, teetering as the old two-post lift swayed back and forth. She paid this no mind and continued to watch the cables of the hoist vibrate under the mass of the truck, kicking her feet in the dust of the garage.

"Rubles?"

She looked up, hearing her name being called.

"I'm over here!"

"Where's here?" asked the voice again.

"Behind the slowly levitating vehicle."

"Arright."

From behind the front of the truck came her sister, in loose black cargo pants and a _very_ low-necked tank top. Her hair was tied up into a high ponytail, and she had a red popsicle in her hand. Because to them, popsicles and slushies didn't have flavours, they had colours only. Red, and blue. And on special days in the heat of the summer, purple. They only came in the specialty packs.

"Hey, Yang. Bring me one of those?"

"Sure did."

She was tossed a skinny orange package covered in bright green lettering. She panicked and nearly dropped the starter, barely catching it as it flew through the air.

"Jeez, I didn't think you had, it was just a joke."

"I'll eat it if you don't want it. Nice catch, bee-tee-dubs."

"Ugh, hold this."

She tossed the starter to her sister the same way she'd just gotten the popsicle. Yang caught the heavy solid chunk of metal with one hand, not even close to dropping it or stumbling. Sometimes Ruby forgot that Yang had mechanically assisted catching abilites and a gyroscopically stabilized elbow, so it was still impressive to see her catch stuff without looking. She broke into the packaging and stuffed it into her pocket, quickly biting off the end of the popsicle and chewing the frozen treat.

"Man, it's a good thing you're not into guys, Rubes."

"Oh, gwow up." she retorted, her mouth slowly freezing.

"Because that's not how you treat one of those things."

She swallowed, annoyed at her sister.

"Obviously, you moron, I'm not an idiot. Pretty sure I could perform one of those if I tried."

"Aw, my baby sister's all grown up."

"Kiss my ass. And I've been grown up for more than twenty-four hours."

"Yes you have, cutie pie." she reached over and poked her in the face with her popsicle. Ruby frowned. "Don't make that face, Rubes, your face will get stuck like that."

"Yeah, I'm gonna make sure it does."

Yang went ahead and deep-throated her popsicle, making Ruby shiver uncomfortably. She hit the switch on the hoist again and continued the truck's ascension to the sky, chewing another large chunk out of her popsicle to spite her sister.

"Sho howsh the engine shwap coming?"

"It's almost done, just gotta button up a few things." the truck stopped at the top of the hoist. "I'll be done a lot quicker if you help me."

"Hey, no problem, love."

Ruby snickered and stuck her popsicle between her teeth, pulling the ratchet out of her pocket. She gestured for her sister to hand the starter motor over to her. She took the heavy steel canister in one hand and set the ratchet to tighten with the other. Standing awkwardly under the truck's long transmission, it was a fight to get the starter through the hole on the back of the bellhousing with her hands cramped by the truck's front driveshaft. She got it seated in position, only scuffing the back of her hand a little bit.

"Here, can you hold my popsicle?"

"Ew, no, it's got your mouth germs on it."

"Yang, for fuck's sake."

"Honey, I'm joking, give it to me."

"I'm gonna shove it down your cleavage in a second, meanie." she chuckled, handing off the dripping treat.

"You wouldn't!"

"It would be hard not to with how much is showing."

"What, it's a hot day outside!"

"It's fourteen degrees. Put a coat on."

"I don't need a coat, I'm already really hot."

Now, Ruby couldn't see it, but she was sure that her sister was winking at some unseen camera and hearing a live studio audience laugh in her head. These were the perils of living with a Yang.

"Whatever. Grab me the flexible thingy."

"Ooh, Ruby, you have one of _those_ in your toolbox? Naughty girl, you are."

"Swiss fuckin' cheese, Yang, the _flexible. Socket. Extension."_

"I know, I know, I'm just jonesing you."

It took a lot of effort to not tackle her sister to the ground, chain her up, and lock her in a cupboard until dinnertime, but she'd offered to help and Ruby didn't really want to give that up. Yes, her sister was irritating. But at least she was irritating in a humorous way.

"Must you make my life so impossible?"

"Only when you're precariously positioned under two tonnes of steel."

"Son of a- whatever, you can stay if you shut up."

"I will stay but I will not shut up."

"Fine."

"See, you love me."

Ruby chuckled.

"I regret it every day."

Yang continued her oral assault on her popsicle as she carefully wiggled the socket up and over the top of the starter relay, notching it onto the inconveniently located upper bolt, spinning it slowly tight and pulling the two mating surfaces closer together. This was a lot easier of a process on her Blaze-Charger since the starter was mounted on the engine instead of the transmission, and the bolts were considerably easier to access. And thanks to the raised ride height of her truck, she could do it in her driveway on a creeper and didn't need a hoist and an irritating assistant. She snugged up the bottom bolt as well, and put her ratchet back into her overalls.

"How much more we gotta do, Rubes?"

"Driveshaft, exhaust, some radiator plumbing, linkages… not a huge amount."

"How much longer before she's running?"

"Uh… ten minutes?"

Yang shrugged and bit the last of her popsicle off, tossing the stick into the nearby garbage bin. Ruby took her own popsicle back, reaching up and grabbing the starter power wire and forcing it onto the shiny brass electrical connector at the base of the can.

"Anything I can do for you?"

Ruby looked over to her work bench, still littered with nickel and dime parts that needed to be put on.

"See that little hose there? On top of that book, shaped like a banana?"

Her sister sauntered over to the bench and picked up the wrong hose.

"This one?"

"No, the one next to it. One inch diameter."

"Oh, this. This is banana-shaped to you?"

"Yeah, that one. And yes."

"What kind of bananas are you eating?"

"Look, it was the best description I could come up with while pressed for time."

Yang chuckled, but brought the hose back over. "Sure, what do you want me to do with this?"

"One end goes to the bottom spout on the radiator, the other end goes on the water pump. I don't exactly remember which end is which, but I'm sure you'll figure it out. Hose clamps are in the screwdriver drawer."

"Kay, I'm on it."

Ruby smiled at her sister for a moment, before returning to her work. She turned, and picked up the substantial steel driveshaft from its place on the ground, and made short work of hoisting it up to her shoulder. This normally should have been a two-person job, seeing as the shaft weighed close to a hundred a fifteen pounds, but for her it was nearly weightless. She got the front joint lined up with ease, sliding the bolts into the flange holes and giving them a few turns with her fingers to seat them, then turning around doing the same on the differential side.

"There, that's mounted."

"Same here, the hose is on."

"Can you toss me uh… five-eighths socket?"

"On it."

She turned as Yang let the little chrome tool fly, only moving her hand to catch it at the last second, snatching it easily from the air. She clicked it on to her ratchet and made short work of snugging up the eight flange bolts and securing the truck's rear driveshaft in place.

"Can you do the front driveshaft? Bolts are in the flange. Should be a half-inch socket."

"Yup."

Ruby pulled out her flashlight and shone it up on the left side of the transmission, eyeing the long fork-shaped linkage lever she'd taped up to the transmission tunnel to keep out of the way. She stuck her arm up the skinny gap and pulled it free, peeling the tape off and letting it fall to the ground. She'd sweep it up later, she figured. The forked end slotted neatly back onto the protruding clutch lever on the side of the bellhousing, the holes still lining up perfectly. Lucky for her this truck had a mechanical clutch, meaning it was one less thing to bleed once she was done. She pulled the bolt out of her pocket and slid it into place, tightening it down with an adjustable wrench. Not the nicest of tools, but the bolt was tight, so she wasn't complaining.

"Right, just the exhaust left to put on, and we can lower it down."

"What, you mean you _don't_ want to drive it with no exhaust?"

"Yang, you heard me and dad tooling around with the cop car with no exhaust on it, remember how loud that was?"

"Yeah."

"It's irritating."

"I remember _your_ truck being incredibly loud."

"Only when you stand on it. The Blaze-Charger is pretty docile when you're just puttering around. This would be deafening _all_ the time. No."

"Tsk, you're no fun."

Ruby rolled her eyes with a dry laugh, and picked up the tail end of the long exhaust pipe.

"Just grab your end, dummy."

"Yes, dad."

"I'm gonna kick you."

Yang grabbed her end, where it was split into two pipes at the pair of catalytic converters. They lifted together, having a heck of a time feeding the pipe's awkward bends over the rear axle and into its little rubber hangers. But it did get over, and together they got the other end lifted back into place and seated against the exhaust manifolds. Ruby was glad she bought all new hardware for this rebuild, as the nuts and bolts that were on the truck originally had been all corroded and rusted solid. Barely any were salvageable.

"There we are. See, now we can lower it back down."

"Is it ready to fire?"

"Almost. Gotta put coolant in it, gotta screw the shifters back on, and we're good to go. Oh, and, put the bumper and hood back on. But yeah, then it's beer time."

"Sweet."

Ruby slid out from under the hoist and pressed her finger into the down button. With a loud _clack_ the safety latch unlocked and the truck started to slowly lower down to the ground. The old hoist whirred loudly, probably in need of some greasing and love, but it worked hard for them even in not very good condition. The tires squeaked as the old truck once more lay down on the ground, sinking onto its springs with what would have been a sigh had it been alive.

"Right, the coolant is over on the bench over there, along with two jugs of water."

"All of it?"

"Yeah, it's mixed half coolant and half water, just pour it all in the radiator."

"Got it."

Yang strode off to grab her assigned task, while Ruby pulled the driver's side door open and fell sideways into the seat. Strewn about the cabin was the two gear levers and the rubber boots to go with them. She grabbed the longer, primary one and slotted it over the small protruding stalk that rose up out of the hole in the floor and bolted it in place. The second, little one simply screwed onto the exposed stick just to the left of the main lever. She figured she'd put the boots on later, for now was the time to get the truck running. She stepped out, picking the large battery up off the floor and swinging up and over the fender and into the battery tray with a thud. She grabbed the negative cable and slipped it on and tightened it down. She looked to her sister, just having finished off the last bottle.

"Hands clear?"

"Yup."

She put the positive cable over the terminal and pushed it down, spinning the wingnut tight and pulling on it to make sure it had good contact. Satisfied, she got back into the cab of the truck and pulled the key out of the cupholder.

"Alright, we ready?"

"Let's see how good you _really_ are with car repair."

"Oh, shove it." She put the key in the ignition and turned it to the on position, hearing the fuel pump turn on and waited a moment. "Kay, cranking."

She put the clutch in and turned the key all the way. The motor turned over a few times lifelessly, then lit off without a single struggle, settling quickly into a low idle.

"Well, how about that." Yang said, hand on her hips and an impressed smile on her face.

"Are you implying that you _doubted_ me?"

"Not even for a moment."

Ruby chuffed and got out again, kicking the hoist arms out of the way and stepping back, impressed. There it was, idling softly an all eight cylinders again, thanks to the donation of a new motor from an old police car. The P-150 seemed almost pleased to be running smoothly again. Yang came up beside her and slapped her on the back.

"So, joyride?"

"Psh, no. Still gotta put the bumper and the hood back on."

"Then joyride?"

Ruby shrugged. "Maybe. Might be dinner time by then."

She went back around to the driver's door and reached in the window, turning the truck off again.

"Do you _like_ doing this kinda work, Ru?"

She pondered a moment. "I mean, I guess so. It's no different than building weapons and fixing them, it's just on a much bigger scale. And with a _lot_ more grease and oil on your shirt. I definitely wouldn't want to do this for a career, but I don't mind fixing dad's old junk once in a while. Here, grab that end of the bumper."

They lifted the truck's heavy steel bumper from where it was sitting off to the side, and carefully carried it back over, lining it up with the bolt holes on the front of the frame.

"Didja run into any significant problems on this?"

"Not really. It was a Sanus engine going into a Sanus vehicle. The wiring harnesses were the same, the motor mounting points were the same, all the plumbing was the same thread sizes."

"So easy-peasy then."

"Well, save for the fact that the truck's flywheel didn't mount back onto the cop car's engine."

Yang frowned. "Why not? You just said-"

"The truck uses a large, heavy-mass flywheel designed for high clutch temperatures, and the cop car, being an automatic, has a low-mass flex plate with a different bolt pattern on the back of the crankshaft."

"Well, how'd you solve that?"

Ruby screwed in the two bumper bolts on her side, handing her sister two more for the other side.

"Overnighted a flywheel from a Stallion. Same size as the truck's, but with the same bolt pattern as the cop car's crank. Went right together like butter."

"Smart."

"I like to think so. Hey, do you know what that means?" she gestured to the white block lettering on the bumper, spelling out _VAFNG-NTV_.

"Uh…" Yang squinted at it, and then tried to pronounce it. "Vafing untvee?"

Ruby laughed. "No, not… not quite."

"Then tell me."

Ruby stood up, satisfied with the mounting job on the bumper.

" _V_ stands for Vacuo, _AFNG_ for Air Force, national guard, and _NTV_ for non-tactical vehicle. This was an air base utility truck out in the Shade district, used to shuttle ordinance trailers to bombers and tow anti-air guns around. This old beast never saw service on the front lines."

"I'm impressed you know that."

"We use the same marking system in Atlas, and it wasn't hard to look up the auction house records that dad bought it from. Here, help me with the hood."

They carefully pulled the hood off the wall where she'd left it on a towel and carried it over to the truck, positioning it over the raised hinge plates. Ruby pulled out two more short bolts and screwed them in, handing two more over to her sister. With the hood fully secured, she pulled it down and latched it shut with hearty _whump_ of the heavy steel.

"So will this truck ever be roadworthy again?"

Ruby shrugged. "It's roadworthy _now._ Just need a new seatbelt for the passenger side, and it can even be safetied."

"Wait, what about all the rust holes?"

"Yeah, I filled them. Have you seen the rocker panels? I spent all of last night welding a new floor and rockers in. Cab corners, too."

Yang took a step back and checked

"Oh, yeah, now I see. Why'd you paint them black on a blue truck?"

"It's all I had on the shelf. I just needed to cover them with something so they wouldn't rust again. Besides, the frame on this thing is really straight, it's safe to drive as it is now. I was expecting to hoist this thing up and have it fold in half under its own weight. But, no, it's solid."

"And dad paid, what, eight hundred lien for this thing?"

"Yeah, something like that. Now, I think I promised you a joyride. Hop in."

"Ha, nice."

Ruby pushed her toolbox out of the way and lifted the garage door all the way up, pushing the chain into the little notch on the side of the guide rail and locking it in place. She did another quick check underneath the truck to make sure it wasn't leaking any fluids, and satisfied with what she found, and went around to the driver's side and got in. She settled into the seat, wiggling until she was comfortable, and put the clutch in and cranked the motor over again. Once more, it fired up without effort, a testament to how good she was. With a wiggle of the long transmission lever into first gear, she tentatively lifted her foot off the clutch, feeling the truck start to crawl forward.

"Oh, you beautiful machine."

She let off and pulled forward, the truck bucking a little as the clutch spring bounced against the flywheel. Not one to do things half-assed, as soon as the truck was fully out of the garage and onto the dusty gravel driveway she pushed her right foot into the floorboards. All two hundred and fifty Valean police car horsepower unloaded through the truck's rear tires and spun a cloud of dust into the air. She grabbed the gear lever and grunted it into second and booted the accelerator down again. The light, empty back end attempted to overtake the front of the truck on the loose surface, but she didn't let it, sawing at the wheel and keeping her foot firmly planted against the yes pedal. She noticed how intensely the transmission levers seemed to be twisting and bouncing in place, something that wasn't quite right.

"Oh, we forgot something!" she shouted over the sound of the engine bouncing off the limiter.

"What's that?"

"Transmission bushing!"

"Oh damn!"

She put the clutch in and coasted, letting the vehicle quiet down as the coasted down the driveway and around the corner.

"It's fine, the engine and front diff are holding it in, it'll just wiggle around for a bit, I'll fix it tomorrow."

As they rounded the back of the house and onto the front driveway, they noticed that down at the street a small, unremarkable grey hatchback had pulled in, a large circular sign on its roof. Ruby rolled the truck to a stop and they watched a young man in a red polo shirt step out.

"Oh, dinner's here."

She shut the truck off and got out, gesturing to Yang.

"C'mon, hope you're hungry."

"Honey, I'm always hungry."

She shut her door and started over, strolling passed the huge Crusader wagon and Yang's little Syncro Coupe to the delivery person. She recognized the young man, a faunus by the name of Caliban, as a student who'd attended Signal Academy with her and Yang. He'd been a year younger than her and spent most of his time hanging out with his 'herd' of other herbivore faunuses, usually talking about video games and Grifball in their little corner of the soccer field. She smiled as they approached, trying her best friendly face, not even because he had brought her food.

"Heya, Cal!" Yang opened, bouncing up next to him. She put her elbows on the hood of his car and leaned forward, exposing more of herself than necessary. He seemed intimidated by the beaudacious introduction. "What'd you bring me this time? Money? Power? Intimacy?"

"What… you ordered." he said, timid of the much taller woman. Seemed that the only thing about Caliban that had grown from Signal was the length of his hair. "Was I supposed to bring anything else?"

"Cal, please ignore my sister, she's an idiot." Ruby apologized, reaching into her back pocket for her wallet. She pulled out two twenties, crisp and green and fresh from a bank machine. "There you go, for your troubles."

"Oh, come on, Ru-ster. Let me have _some_ fun with him. He's a youthful adolescent pizza delivery boy who's brought two hungry girls some hot meat-"

Ruby turned and punched her sister in the stomach. Not hard enough to knock the wind out of her, but sudden enough to take her by surprise and get her to shut up.

"Play nice, or I'm eating your half of the pizza."

"You see the kind of girl I have to deal with, Cal? She's such a _bully!_ After all I've done for her!"

"Can it, Yang. Sorry Cal. You got my pizzas?"

"Uh…" he nervously moved around to the back of his car, hesitant that he might be either seduced or punched, and lifted the tailgate. The smell of baked dough and spicy sausage wafted around to them in the breeze. "Yeah, here you go."

"Thank you, kindly." she took the boxes from them, careful to not burn her arms on the bottom of the hot cardboard. "Keep the change, Cal. For you."

"Thank you, ma'am. Be seein' ya."

Ruby stepped back with a courteous smile as the boy got back in his car, the engine rattling loudly back to life. He backed down the driveway and out onto the road, moving off slowly in a cloud of gravel dust and engine smoke. As soon as his car was gone from view, she turned to her sister.

"Must you hit on everything that moves?"

"What? C'mon, that's just a little bit of fun. 'Sides, we haven't seen him in long stints since Signal, I have to at least be a _little_ playful."

"I think you scare him."

"Honey, that's what I _do._ Intimidate men."

"Yeah."

She pivoted on the spot and strolled back over to the old P-150, circling back around to the bed. Holding the pizzas in one hand, she reached out and dropped the tailgate with the other, stepping clear as it fell flat with a crunch of steel. She set the pizza down in the bed and hopped up onto the tailgate, letting her legs swing freely underneath her. Yang did the same.

"Oh, hey, you fixed the latch."

"Yup. Gate closes again."

"How much of this truck did you manage to fix in only two days?"

Ruby shrugged.

"Vast majority of the important stuff. I was up for, like what, eighteen, nineteen hours yesterday?"

"On your own birthday, no less."

"Fixing old cars makes me feel better. It's cathartic. I mean, I hung out with you and dad for my actual birthday bit of yesterday, with the cake 'n all that. Is there any left, by the way?"

"Uh, there's still like half of it in the fridge if you want it."

"I'll have some later. Pizza?"

"Oh, yes please."

Ruby picked up the top box and handed it to her sister, grabbing the second one and setting it on her lap. She opened the lid, and was greeted by the beautiful sight of a mountain of meat and cheese staring back up at her. There was bacon, ground beef, spicy sausage, and pepperoni topping it all off, smothered in a fine three-cheese blend of mozzarella, cheddar, and jalapeno havarti.

"Be still, my heart valves. You will get through this with me. _Dad! Pizza's here!"_

She reached in and picked up a piece, watching the extra-gooey cheese string off as she pulled it up and out of the box. She set the cardboard aside and had to use both hands to direct the sloppy, greasy mess into her face. She got a bite down, feeling the heat of the searing oil burn the roof of her mouth. This was not a problem for someone with the strength of a mountain, however, as she simply squinted through the pain and focused on the flavour of the sausage start to burn a hole in her tongue. This was the last time she was willingly ordering Regret-level spicy from Capilano's.

"Ow… hoff"

She looked to Yang, currently struggling with her own vegetarian pizza, as it was oozing out the sides of her mouth, and there was an entire piece of mushroom on her chin. Not that Ruby was gonna make mention of it. Their dad came around the corner with Zwei at his side, the little corgi's tiny legs doing double overtime to keep up with the tall gentleman. He had a noticeable skip in his step, probably due to the promise of pizza.

"Hey, it's my two favourite girls!"

"Mmmh hmmm whmmm yhmm nlmmm fmmm, dmm" Ruby tried, her mouth full of burning but delicious pizza.

"Honey, don't talk with your mouth full." he scolded, picking up the old dog and depositing him in the back of the truck. "It's rude."

She swallowed. "Sorry. What I said was that I hope we're your _only_ favourite girls, dad."

He chuckled and sat down on the tailgate, slinging his arm over her shoulder and pulling her in close. "Of course, don't be ridiculous. You two are the only girls in the world for me, you know that. Slide your old man a slice of that, Yang."

"Shure."

She spoke through a mouth full of pizza, garnering a knowing glare from their father. He grabbed a slice out of the box of vegetarian, then reached into Ruby's box and grabbed a slice of the meaty goodness and tossed it to Zwei. He woofed breathlessly and padded up to it, tongue hanging out and eyes lidded closed. Ruby watched him for a moment start to consume the point of the pizza with vigor, settling down onto his paws and smacking his teeth lazily.

"I see you got my truck runnin' again."

She grinned into her pizza. "That I did."

"I'm proud of you, kiddo. I was thinking of buying a new truck to replace it, but now I guess I won't need to."

"Eh, it still need a few things. I'm by no means done with it."

"Did you get it out of four-wheel-drive? It's been stuck in four-by for like two years now."

"Yeah, I pulled the transfer box apart and cleaned the rust out and replaced all the oils. Took me an hour, tops. I fixed the rear end too, now it actually has limited slip ability thanks to our friend the police car."

"That thing just keeps on giving."

"I could salvage the radio out of it, fix the truck's. Then you can finally listen to your slow jams while you lord over your property."

He chuckled. "Well, if you can do the air conditioner, too…"

"I can certainly try. Don't know where I'm gonna get the freon for it, though. The stuff is illegal to import because of packaging reasons. Something to do with compressed gas, I dunno."

"Honey, you impress me just by being here, you don't need to go out of your way. The fact you fixed this crusty old hunk is more than impressive, you really didn't need to."

"Well, I have to have _something_ to come back to fix. If everything works here, why would I even come and visit?"

"Oh, Ruby. You can always come and visit, even if to just fix our broken hearts."

Her hair recieved a dad-sized fluffing. She giggled.

"Alright, alright, I'll come visit more often."

"That's my g-"

They were interrupted by a loud, obnoxious siren coming from inside the house. Judging by how he'd stopped mid-sentence at this, Ruby figured it might be kind of important. He put his pizza down in the open box and stepped off the tailgate, frowning at the house.

"What is it, dad?"

"Proximity alarm. Something triggered the fence."

Ruby looked to her sister, who just shrugged and demolished the last two bites of her pizza, closing the lid on the box and grabbing both pizzas in her arms. Ruby finished her slice and grabbed Zwei by the collar, lifting the fat old pup into her arms and following her father and sister into the house. She was led cautiously into a side room she'd never been in before, one with only a wall covered in red light bulbs and a map of the farmland. Three of the lights were blinking, in three different corners of their land.

"The heck is this?"

"A proximity detection system your sister and I installed at the beginning of the season. There are sensors every hundred feet along the fence line and the fence itself is electrified. If anything gets through, we know about it in here."

"Well, what's gotten through?"

"Probably a deer, or a small Grimm or something."

Ruby froze up a little.

"Grimm this close to the city?"

"We're far enough out that it's a possibility, you know that. Besides, nothing worse than little Creeps out here."

"But why three alarms at once?"

"Happens from time to time. Not hugely uncommon." He tapped one of the bulbs on the map. "Here, Ruby, you take this one. Go out and see what's tripped the alarm, see if the fence needs fixing. The sensor's right at the post, just next to the big weeping willow north of field eleven. Remember where that is?"

She nodded. "Yeah, I remember."

"Good. Take the truck out for a spin, see if it can handle the trip out there. There's a twelve gauge under the back seat if you need it and my toolbox. Yang, you take northwest corner, I'll take Zwei to the southeast. If you encounter problems, radio me, I'll come running."

"Sure thing."

He took Zwei from her and put him down, patting his legs and power-walking out the door and whistling for the dog. To his credit, Zwei bounced along behind with enough of a skip in his paw to show he had at least some interest in the task at hand. He woofed breathlessly as he padded out the door. Ruby stood for a moment more in front of the map, tracing her finger along the roads that led to the furthest field where the alarm was going off. It required a bit of road driving, but only about three or four hundred feet. And considering the public highway ran through _their_ property, the local authorities would likely not mind if she drove a truck with no plates for such a short distance. She heard the familiar grumble of their dad's side-by-side utility vehicle come to life, and the sound of it disappearing across the property to the dirt access road that ran south.

"Right," Yang clapped, setting the pizza down on the table. "Guess I'll dig out my gauntlets and take the tarp off my dirt bike. Sucks you have to go so far for yours, Ru-ster. Sure you'll be alright?"

"Should be fine. Besides, he said it was probably just a deer, I can deal with that _without_ any weapons."

"Oh, I'm not worried about that, hun. I just wouldn't want you to be… y'know, alone for so long."

"Yang, I'll be fine, don't worry about me."

Her sister sighed deeply, and leaned against the wall, her arms crossed.

"That's literally all I do, baby. Go on, now. You heard dad."

"I know, I'm on it."

With a skip and a wink back to her sister, she left the strange little room and bounded back outside to the driveway, shooing away a flock of pigeons that had gathered in the back of the old truck and were feasting on the remains of the pizza slice that Zwei hadn't finished. She slammed the tailgate back up and jumped into the cab, pulling her seatbelt on with a click. Safety first, after all. She yanked her door shut again and fired the old truck into life. It was still surprising just how willing it was to run with the new engine, but she should have expected that. After doing a quick check to make sure her handheld radio was turned on and on the correct channel, she put the truck in gear and let out on the clutch.

Of course, she had to immediately panic-stop as Yang blasted past in front of her on her motorcycle, the front wheel raised off the ground and sunglasses on her face.

"Jeez! Put a helmet on, you fuckin' maniac." she said to herself as she watched her sister disappear around the corner. "I swear, sometimes…"

She pulled out of the driveway and onto the road with a chuckle and a dumb smile.

/.../

The old truck seemed so much younger now, cruising along the dirt path at around seventy kilometres an hour. She had her arm out the window and her shades on, the cool evening air whooshing past on her skin. She'd found a pack of bubblegum in the glove compartment, still within its expiry date, and was currently enjoying the sharp minty flavour in her mouth. Seriously, if she had a working radio, it would almost have been a perfect day for her. Even if she couldn't pick up her own radio station from this continent, working radio or not.

All five forward gears of the truck's old, original gearbox worked quite spectacularly without any grinding or crunching, something she couldn't say about the milk truck she used to drive and even her own RRS sedan she had back at Beacon. The smoothness of the formerly battered army truck was sublime, even unloaded and on the rough, dusty roads. The weather seemed favourable for such a day as this, the sun was still up even after dinner time, the air was nice and cool without being biting, and the smell of the land, despite being full of allergens, was quite pleasant. She felt… relaxed. At ease, even. The small river that flowed just next to the road glinted in the sunlight, reflecting the blue sky and minimal clouds.

She slowed the truck down, seeing her turn off just up on the right where the road crossed the little babbling brook on a wooden bridge. She even bothered to use her turn signal as she pulled around the tight corner, because that's what safe drivers did, even on their own private property. Just ahead was the bridge.

"Oh, fuck."

She slammed on the brake, skidding the truck to a stop in the dirt.

"Oh, you've gotta be kidding me."

She stepped out of the vehicle and onto the dirt road, not entirely believing what she was looking at. Literally seven days before she had driven down this way in the semi truck, trailers _plural_ full of grain to unload her sister's combine over this very bridge at _least_ five times. It had been plenty sturdy then, what had happened? She reached into the cab and grabbed the walkie talkie out of the glove box. She hit the speaker button with a sigh.

"Dad, come in."

After a moment, the radio beeped back at her.

" _Go ahead, kiddo."_

"The bridge at the north end is out. There's barely anything left of it."

" _Oh. Well, damn. The rainstorm on wednesday must have raised the water enough to sweep out the foundations."_

"Well, I can't get across here, what do you want me to do?"

" _The alarm's gotta be reset, hun. The river gets shallow about two hundred yards upstream, and it's all rock at the bottom. Should be able to ford it."_

" Dad, I _just_ fixed this truck like, twenty minutes ago, I don't wanna break it."

" _You'll be fine, the river's not that deep."_

"How deep is deep?"

" _Waist-deep."_

"Your waist or mine?"

" _Shouldn't matter."_

"Dad, you're like, eight inches taller than me."

" _You'll be fine, kiddo. Have fun."_

Ruby rolled her eyes and tossed the radio back into the truck, letting it land in the passenger seat with a clatter of plastic. She had a glance up the river. The bank on her side was at least as wide or wider than the old truck the whole way up, but it seemed to made entirely of rocks slick with moss and mud. A tough course even for a properly built off-road vehicle like a Bantam Renegade or a VHI Super-Wagon, nearly impassable for anything else. She gave a weary look to the P-150. Sure, it may have been a military vehicle, but it was no HummVee. The tires were knobby- _ish_ and yes it had low-range gearing, but it would probably be a struggle. She sighed and got back into the cab, slamming the door.

"I swear, if this breaks the truck again," she reached down and grabbed the transfer case lever and yanked it all the way back to the _4L_ position. "You're waking up with bees in your pillowcase, dad."

She figured a slow approach to this problem would be best instead of charging in foot to the floor. She eased up on the clutch, first gear only, and let the torque of the motor at idle pull her forward. She cranked the wheel to the left and dropped the nose down the embankment, feeling the tires slip a little as the fronts hit the riverbank.

 _A threat of bees seems a little much_

"Oh, hey. Where've you been?"

 _Around. Hanging out. Watch that rock._

She steered slightly to the right, avoiding a particularly large boulder that may have punched a hole in her freshly repaired rocker panel.

"Thought we agreed you weren't necessary."

 _I'm just checking in, you seem pretty content without me._

"I am."

 _How'd you sleep after telling Yang about Jaune?_

She pondered a moment, letting the truck crawl over a muddy patch.

"Without incident. I mean, I guess when I have normal dreams I don't really think about them. I can tell ya I woke up feeling rested, though."

 _First time in… how long?_

"A while." she chuckled, using about an inch of the throttle to ease the truck up a short embankment.

 _Do you think he'll affect you anymore?_

"Hard to say. I mean, he hasn't in the last two days. I haven't really felt trapped by thoughts of him since telling Yang."

 _Sounds like you made progress. Cross that tree at an angle_

She turned the steering wheel left, and angled the truck more aggressively against the small log. Each front tire mounted it in turn, slipping a little on the mossy surface. The truck bounced heavily as it landed on the other side, throwing her around in her seat.

"Well, I can say with fair certainty that I feel a lot _better_ now."

 _Then you should go running back to Weiss in Atlas_

"Definitely a great idea, but I do have a few things left to do."

 _What about Kayaba Forest?_

"That is one of the few things. Still haven't figured out how to get back there, it's an exclusion zone now."

 _Break in_

"Probably. I want my knife back."

 _And you want closure._

She winced.

"I don't want to continue this conversation right now."

 _That's fair. Tomorrow, perhaps_

"Yeah… bug me about it later."

She waited for a response. None came. Only the sound was of the truck's creaks and moans as she crawled it over the rocky riverbank. She smirked.

"Alright, guess we're done with that. Didn't want to talk to you anyway."

She rolled the truck to a stop. This was about the spot her dad had said, about two hundred yards upstream. She set the parking brake and got out, squinting in the light. The river _was_ shallow here, that wasn't an issue. The problem she now had was the _speed._ The water was moving. And it was moving quite strongly.

"Oh, see, this is why the bridge went out."

The current moving downstream was only at a measly walking pace, but even with her limited knowledge of fluid dynamics she knew that the _weight_ of the moving water would be easily enough to overcome the mass of the truck. She couldn't see the bottom from where she was standing, so she couldn't accurately see if the riverbed was sandy and would wash away under the tires if she tried to cross. She kicked off her boots and socks and rolled up the legs of her overalls to her knees.

"Okay, here goes nothing." she stepped gingerly into the water. " _Fuck,_ that's cold! Shit!"

The icy river shot through her legs like an explosion, nearly making her cramp up and fall. She bit through it and moved forward, the current having its way with her legs, moving them further and further downstream as she walked. Only a quarter of the way through the river and the water was already starting to soak into the cuffs of her overalls. It was definitely gonna be a struggle. She turned and waded out, finding herself a few yards downstream of her boots. She did her best to avoid the sharp rocks that littered the edge of the water, using the hood of the truck as a hand-hold to keep herself upright. Her feet still wet, she pocketed her socks and slipped her feet into her boots without them, shivering a little as she got back into the cab of the truck.

"Fuck, that's gonna carry me back down to the bridge at that rate."

She sat for a second, idly staring at the water and tapping her fingers against the steering wheel.

"Nothing I can do about it. Just gotta commit. What is it that Yang says? Yeet?"

She put the truck into second and revved up the motor.

"Well, ' _yeet_ ', I guess."

She dropped the clutch. The old truck _surged_ forward and into the stream, sending a huge wave crashing forward and over the hood. She cranked the steering wheel left and got the nose pointed at a steep upstream angle, keeping as small a side profile as she could to the current. The tires spun underwater, churning up the loose rocky bottom as the fresh, healthy engine fired all of its power at her with an almost enthusiastic note.

"Come on, you old dog. Swim."

The water was a lot deeper than she was expecting right around the middle, and the truck sank down to its fenders. She nervously kept her boot in it, hoping it would continue to drag itself forward and float if it had to. Any deeper and the motor would start to suck water in through its airbox and that would instantly bring her journey to a halt. The worst possible thing that could happen would be the truck turning sideways and rolling over, as she'd seen happen in enough internet videos of people making bad water crossings.

"Please keep going. _Please."_

Her silent praying paid off, in the form of the front wheels finding traction on the opposite bank and dragging the heavy vehicle closer to the far side. She held her foot down a moment longer as the truck mounted the far bank and bounced its way out of the river, soaking wet and billowing steam out from underneath the hot exhaust. She shunted to a stop and cheered, patting the dashboard with a big smile on her face.

"Yes! I am invincible!"

She got out of the truck and did a little victory dance, bouncing around and hugging the hood of the truck. She paused a moment, realizing how strange that was. She stepped back and coughed.

"Well, at least you're clean, now."

/.../

She pulled up along the dirt road, overhanged by the branches of the weeping willow. She coughed and shut the engine off, reaching behind her seat and grabbing the red metal toolbox that had been rattling around during the ride. She sniffled and stepped out, bumping the door open with her shoulder. Her gum had lost its flavour at this point, so she spit it out down onto the ground just in front of the rear tire.

"Ugh, where are you, fence?"

She closed the door behind her and trudged over to the weeping willow, toolbox in hand. Her nose itched quite badly from all the dust in the air. She sneezed into her sleeve, leaving a patch of dust-coloured dampness on the short sleeve cuff. She sighed and brushed it off with her free hand, wiping her palm on her hip. She winced, feeling her ankle hurt a little. She'd rolled it falling up the basement stairs that morning while collecting wood for the garage fireplace. She paused at the tree and put her toolbox down and kicked her boot off. She held herself upright on the tree and reached down, massaging the bone just above the joint, pressing her thumb into the tendon.

"Fuck… How even? How did I manage _this?"_

She sighed and slipped her foot back into her boot and picked up her toolbox. The pain in her ankle would pass soon enough. It was her right foot anyway, her bad side. If it was her left foot, she'd have some strong words for it. And a bat for the disobedient staircase. How dare it exist.

"Right. Let's have a look at y- oh!"

She rounded the tree to the far side, where the fence ran along the edge of their property. Past this point was another series of fields that belonged to the neighboring farm, who Ruby didn't know. But the field wasn't wasn't what caught her eye. She briefly panicked as she caught sight of the black skinned animal, and the white armour adorning its face and chest.

"Ohhhh, 'kay. Alright, don't panic, Ruby."

She took her hand off the grip of her Seven-Five and steadied herself. She moved slowly forward, careful not to spook the animal. It was a Grimm, specifically a Cervidae, standing about six foot tall to the top of the shoulder, not including the fantastically huge set of ivory horns that protruded out of its head. It seemed to be stuck in the fence, the steel register wire wrapped around its neck and up into its antlers.

"Okay, this is why the alarm tripped. Right."

She huffed softly, keeping her eyes on the beast. It hadn't noticed it her yet, its glowing red eyes pointed down at its own hoof, padding at the fence. She put the toolbox down, careful to not make any noise as she popped the rusty latch and lifted the lid. She fumble blindly inside, catching her fingers on the sharp end of a pruning saw. Her fingers finally found the handle of a pair of metal shears and pulled them out. She pocketed them, keeping them out of sight to the Grimm. She kept her breath steady, knowing that the sight of sharpened blades tended to aggravate the animals to the point of aggression. She reached up under her arm and unbuckled the snap on her holster and pulled the pistol out, laying it down in the toolbox, safety on.

"Calm… calm…"

She crept forward to where the Grimm was standing. It seemed irritated, nervous, and actually kind of scared. It was bleeding, where the register cable was wrapped around its face, the trail of black, acrid blood was leaking from the wounds. She winced, checking from afar. She still hadn't decided if she wanted to kill it or let it free, but without her gun there would be little to do if it tried to gore her with its antlers. Even from where she was standing she could see how _sharp_ the ends of the antlers were. They'd cut through her like tissue paper. She shivered.

"H-hello."

She spoke quietly, crossing the halfway point between the Grimm and her gun, now closer to the danger than her weapon. The beast huffed, blowing two little clouds of dust below its muzzle. Its eyes flicked over for a moment, narrowing in on her, before flicking away again back to the ground. It pawed at the fence with its hoof with what looked like exhausted muscles. It seemed almost out of energy.

"Hey, are you okay? Are you hurt?"

She didn't quite know why she was trying to converse with the beast, but it seemed right. She liked to talk to Zwei whenever he was within a ten-foot radius, even though she knew full well the corgi couldn't speak and was usually nearly comatose-asleep or with his entire head and neck in his food bowl. The old dog was no longer as spry as he was when he was a pup, but that didn't stop Ruby from treating like one and talking to him and squeezing his little face and ears.

Something she could _not_ do with the large Grimm.

"It's okay… it's okay… I'm gonna get you out of there…"

The last time she had an interaction with a Cervidae was four years prior, driving home from the barracks in her old RRS sedan. It was dark, and the car's faded headlights weren't exactly doing a good job illuminating the snowed-over highway outside Anfang. The first and so far only car accident she ever had had involved a Cervidae when a fifteen hundred pound male bull jumped over the snowbank at the side of the road and directly into the path of her car. Needless to say, she'd hit the Grimm, taking out its legs and causing its massive bulk to impact her windshield, crushing all the bodywork and roof structure almost into her head. All she remembered of the incident was slamming on the brakes, followed by waking up sitting in the back of an ambulance with an ice pack on her head and a fire paramedic tending to some skin scuffs on her arms. She knew full well these Grimm were substantial creatures, and she was putting herself in incredible risk the closer she got.

"Hey, hey… shhhh…"

She reached one hand out, palm down to the beast's snout. She had her glove off, both of her hands in full view of the animal's line of sight to prove that she was unarmed. The only thing she had on her was a set of dirty overalls and the tin snips, which wouldn't be even a little bit effective against the thick skin and armoured breastplate.

"I'm not gonna hurt you. I'm here to h-help."

Her hand touched the beast's elegantly long snout very briefly. It's head shook briefly as it recoiled from her touch, before settling down again. She had a moment of nearly bowl-emptying fear as the beast grumbled deep in its throat, puffing a cloud of hot air at her and trying to twist its head and horns at her. She settled, reaching out again for the snout and settling her hand against it. She chuckled nervously.

"See? I'm nice, I promise."

She gently stroked the black fur. It was substantially softer than she was expecting. From all her experience with other forms of Grimm like Beowulves and Ursai, she was expecting a leathery skin with weathering and countless battle scars tightening it solid. Not so with this particular Cervidae, its skin was like fine suede, supple and almost juvenile.

"You're very pretty."

She carefully stroked down its snout from just below its faceplate down to the top of its nose. It calmed with every caress, its ragged, angry breathing softening to a soft almost purr. It's body flexed as the animal breathed deeply, sighing into itself. She pulled out a rag from her pocket and dabbed away some of the blood on the beast's forehead, ignoring the pungent smell of the black, steaming goo.

"I'm going to cut you free, I promise it won't hurt too much."

She put the rag over the animal's eyes, keeping her left hand on the beast's snout. She pulled out the tin snips with her other hand and unlocked them with a flick of her wrist. She very carefully reached over and placed the blades over the steel cable that bound the beast's head down. She kept the blades way clear of the skin and positioned her hand around the handles.

"I'm going to cut now. Stay still, please…"

She squeezed the snips shut and cut through the cable. It broke with a _twang,_ loosening around the animal's head and horns. She made sure to keep an even pressure on the long, elegant nose of the creature to remind it that she was there for it. It huffed again, making her shiver. She didn't want it knowing it was free on one side just yet, as it would have likely panicked and tried to rip its head away, surely severing its own neck in the cable.

"Okay, just one more…"

She carefully changed hands on the animal's snout, grabbing the snips in her left hand now and reaching out for the cable.

"Still… calm... Easy…"

She cut the cable, completely freeing the Cervidae. It huffed, almost knocking the cloth off its eyes. Ruby caught her breath in her throat, freezing solid. It knew now that it was free. Yes, if she needed to she could fight it and win with her bare hands, but this massive animal was significantly heavier than the Grimm she normally faced and had two massive pointy antlers that could flay her like fresh fish, _and_ she was unarmed. She gave herself a sixty percent chance of success on this one.

"Okay, I'm going to untangle your antlers now, be calm… be calm…"

She pushed the blades of the tin snips into the dirt to keep them out of the way and brought both hands up to the animal's face. She grabbed the now loose cable in her shaking, nervous hand and started to feed it back to itself, making the tangled loops of cable larger and looser around the thick muscled neck and antlers. Two of the loops came off easy, flicking past the beast's tufted ears and down away from its face. The last remaining two loops were stuck fast in the antlers, and weren't going to come free with just some tugging.

"One more, one more, I promise. I've got you, sweetheart."

She grabbed the tin snips again and clipped through the cabled tangled in the antlers, pulling the segments free from its head. She quickly tossed the cable down into the dirt and pocketed the snips.

"I'm going to take the cloth off now. I promise to not hurt you."

She lifted the cloth off the beast's eyes very slowly. It blinked a few times as the light hit it in the eyes again, huffing through its nostrils into her face. It's hot breath blew her hair around and made her fluster. She shivered as she looked into the glowing red eyes, partially obscured by the white armoured face plate. It shook its head, shaking out its neck fur and blinking slowly.

"Ohhh-hohhh my gosh…"

It took a step forward and into her. It pushed its face into hers, bumping its nose against her cheek. Her voice came out breathlessly.

"Ho-oh-ly shit… Very nice… very good…"

Its tongue was rough and leathery on her shoulder as it licked its lips. She carefully stroked up under the beast's chin, scratching its soft fur, feeling its soft breathing and gentle heartbeat.

"That's good… nice Grimm…"

She cupped its face in her hands and gently pressed her forehead to the Grimm's, feeling the soft skin against hers. Her breathing was nowhere near as calm as collected as the Cervidae's. She was almost in full panic-mode as it took another step forward, almost knocking her backwards.

"Okay, okay, okay, shhh, no need to do anything rash, I'm only here to help…"

It huffed in her face again, warm and quick. She kept her composure to the best of her ability with the massive animal nearly pinning her to the tree. It turned its head to one side and huffed, pressing the side of its head against her cheek. It took her a moment to realize that it was trying to get her to notice the wound on the side of its neck.

"Oh, oh, okay okay, I've got you, sweetie. Don't worry, I'll clean it."

She took the cloth again and carefully dabbed away the blood that was pulsing slowly out of the wound. She pressed the cloth into the gash and let it soak for a moment, dabbing it away. She inhaled and pressed her hand to the cut on its neck.

"Alright, let's see if this works on you…"

She closed her eyes and focused, feeling the calming flow of aura down her arm and into her fingers. She let out a breath and let her aura flow out her fingers and into the large Grimm's neck. She breathed quietly and felt the wound closing up under her palm. She shivered as she felt the Cervidae's fur stand on end as it healed.

"Oh my goodness…"

She'd tried using aura to heal her squadmates while out on field duty to minimal success, but certainly effective enough for emergency use. She'd once accidentally used it on Zwei back at Beacon when he had stepped on a thumbtack in the study room, and realized that she could channel small amounts of aura into other people to increase the speed at which healing occurred. Everyone could do it, just to different effectiveness. Even Pyrrha could use her aura for minor scuffs and scrapes, having shown her how to do this exact trick after one particularly bad fighting class lesson where the woman had punched her _through a retaining wall._ All had been quickly forgiven.

But to use this power on a _Grimm_?

"Ohhh…"

She took her hand away, finding nothing but a thin grey scar on the sheer ebony black skin.

"Ohhhhkay, that's…. Significant…. _shit..._ "

The Grimm huffed, breathing into her face again. She reached out carefully and kissed the Cervidae on the little scar on its neck. She stepped back and took her hands off the beast, keeping eye contact.

"You're free now… You're good, you're safe…"

It lifted its head to full height. She was quick to realize _just how much_ danger she was really in, as the creature was a full _ten_ feet tall at the top of its antlers and more like eighteen hundred to _two thousand_ pounds of bulk. Definitely a bull. She kept her hands out, palms down, her heart racing like a hummingbird.

"There… there… we go… c-careful…Are you okay?"

The beast, of course, didn't respond. But it _did_ take a step back and bow its head at her, bending its front legs down and respectively closing its eyes for a moment. She was astonished.

"You're...welcome…"

She watched as the beast stood again and turned, stepping away and leaping gracefully out of her property and into the neighbour's field. It landed a full _sixty_ feet away in a single bound, its hooves hitting the ground perfectly silently. It turned its head back and looked at her a moment. She waved sheepishly at it as it turned and bounded off into the grainfield. She shivered as it disappeared. She collapsed to her knees as soon as the creature was out of sight, grasping at her chest.

"Oh, my fuck. _Oh."_

She chuckled a moment, wiping the sweat off her forehead. Her whole body shook as she shook her way over to her toolbox and picked it up. She carried it back to the truck, her nerves shot and her body in that weird place between shaking fear and ecstatic wonderment. She pulled the passenger door open and popped the rear-swinging half door to toss the toolbox inside.

"W-well, that's an experience. Not sure I want to do that again."

She kept herself upright as her legs nearly buckled from the stress. She pulled the handheld radio from the passenger floor and clicked in the button, trying to calm her nerves.

"Dad, come in."

" _MMMMMMgo ahead?"_

"Found the broken fence. Big Cervidae got tangled in it."

" _You deal with it?"_

She chuckled.

"Yeah, I let it go. Seemed pretty thankful. I had to cut the cable, though."

" _Coolio, hon. I guess you don't have any new cable."_

"I've got crush clamps?"

" _They won't hold the tension, don't bother. I'll swing buy and fix it later."_

"Cool. I'll be home in about twenty, then."

" _Thanks, kiddo. Love you."_

Ruby smiled down at the radio and placed it back on the passenger seat and closing the rear door with a thud. She reached for the outside edge of the front door, not really paying attention to her surroundings. She then heard another huff of breath, and a grunt. She blinked. Was the Cervidae back? She checked over her shoulder, spotting a short, fat Boarbatusk about sixty feet in front of the truck's bumper. She turned back to her toolbox for a moment, forgetting about it. This lasted about two seconds.

"Wait, _fuck,_ what?!"

She did a double take. Sure enough, there was the Boarbatusk, still glaring at her up ahead, its front legs wide apart and its eyes glowing a bright red. It snorted in her direction.

"Oh, fuck you, you _waited_ 'till I was done, you son of a bitch."

It started to charge up its roll, pawing at the ground with its misshapen hooves and spinning in place. This was not okay. She wasn't about to be ambushed by such an ugly creature on her own property. She reached back behind the front seats of the truck to the ready rack and lifted the hefty shotgun from its perch, the clasps clicking open loudly.

"You think you can ambush _me?!"_

She brought the weapon out and got her grip comfortable around the pump and trigger. The safety was flicked off.

"You putrid sack of shit, you made a mistake today."

It started to charge her. She shouldered the gun and fired. The big twelve gauge round slammed the black polymer stock into her shoulder with an aggressive shunt, sending all nine of the lead balls downrange and into the beast. It stumbled, but continued forward. Ruby spit angrily into the dirt.

"I'm not having you ruin a perfect moment, asswipe."

She pumped the action, spitting the spent case out and directly into her bicep, making her cringe as hot brass touched exposed skin. The _only_ disadvantage to a shotgun, she thought. It wasn't left-handed. She fired again, slowing the charging animal even further. She fired a third time.

"When I tell you to stop, you _stop!"_

She fired directly at the beast's face, ripping through the skin and cracking the faceplate with one solid hit. It stumbled, still charging at her. She let go of the pump handle with her right hand and dashed forward _at_ the charging boarbatusk. Just as it was about to hit her, she reached out.

" _Fuck!"_

She grabbed onto one of its tusks, stopping the beast's forward progress. Unfortunately for _it,_ it's body kept on rotating around and upward. There was a loud _snap_ as its hindquarters tried to rotate past its shoulders. It cried out, screaming as it crumpled to the ground, paralyzed and unable to move its extremities.

"You think you can come into _my_ farm, lie in wait in _my_ bushes, and try to attack _me?_ You've got another thing coming if you think a Grimm like _you_ can frighten me. I'm not scared of you or _any_ of your kind."

She lifted the beasts head up by the tusk, seeing the fear and anguish in its eyes as it clearly was experiencing excruciating pain in its neck. Lucky for it, it couldn't feel anything below that.

"You want proof? I'll give you proof. You and all that fucking forest!"

She tilted the beast's head back to force it to open its mouth, letting out a scream of pain. She silenced it with the barrel of the shotgun, ramming the front sight deep into one of its lungs. It choked, trying to breath through the long, polished black steel straw.

"I'm going back to that forest and getting my goddamn knife back, and I'll saw through every one of you assholes who thinks you can attack me for sport."

She pulled the trigger. Thanks to the immense backpressure of the beast's respiratory system, the gun misfired, splattering only half of its energy into the squishy insides of the defiant hog. It coughed and vomited up blood as she pulled the gun back out, dragging the front notched sight up its trachea and splitting it open. She grimaced at the blood-soaked firearm and tossed it aside, reaching down with her other hand and grabbing the animal's other tusk. She lifted its face to meet her.

"I'm done with you, and the rest of you antagonistic assholes. You hear me? Done."

With only about a quarter of her strength, she pulled her hands apart, splitting the beast's compromised skull in half down to its spinal column. It tried to scream but found itself unable as its throat was ripped open a second later. She dropped the bisected animal face and let it crumple to the ground, very _very_ dead. It started to dissolve with a loud and pungent hissing.

"Fuckin' Grimm piece of shit."

She kicked it and turned around, picking up the shotgun and marching back to the truck. She tossed the gun into the passenger footwell and picked up the radio again, angry.

"There better be ice-cold freaking beer waiting for me when I get back."

Once again, her dad's chipper voice came through the other end.

" _... what the heck happened now?"_

"Fuckin' Boarbatusk thought it could sneak up on me. Blew its ugly fuckin' body to pieces."

" _Language."_

"It was _waiting_ for me to be done untangling that Cervidae, the cocksucker."

" _Ruby."_

"I hate the Grimm, dad. It needed to suffer."

" _Honey, we can talk about this when you get back, okay? Just get home safe."_

She tossed the radio into the footwell with the shotgun, and slammed the passenger door. She stomped her way back around to the driver's side and jumped in, slamming that door too. She pouted.

"Fuckin' Grimm. Fuckin Kayaba. I'm getting my goddamn knife back."

She angrily started the truck.

She needed those sickles first, though.


	41. Chapter 41: Disguise

**Chapter 78**

"So…"

The tall, lanky man wandered in a slow circle around her, his boots cracking against the gravel road. She kept her body poised, carefully sitting on her knees with her hands delicately on her thighs. She had her eyes closed.

"...You came to me for my help, and yet I do not know why."

The wind blew through her hair, the sweet smell of lilac flowing around her.

"I'd like to know why it is…"

He came to a stop, clicking his heels together and leaning over her head. She opened her eyes briefly to look up at him. The piercing red stare wasn't getting any easier to deal with.

"...That my _own fiance_ refuses to tell me why I'm here, on a mountainside, in Atlas, in the middle of November, with _you."_

She refused to speak and justify his words. She just watched him continue to encircle her, his back arched and his hands behind his back pensively.

"Because that seems unfair to me, don't you think? I had more interesting things to do this week than teach you how to use a weapon you are clearly not good enough to wield. But here I am, on request of the person I love, without explanation."

She twitched, desperately trying to not reach for the short dagger kept under her coat, sheathed in a black leather catch.

"The Scythe is a graceful and elegant weapon, something you, a fencer, wouldn't understand. I can't teach you something that is _so_ out of your grasp. I firmly explained to your sister that you should stay this way, but she insisted, with force."

She inhaled, keeping her eyes level over the horizon and listening to the man circle around behind her, his boots digging into the ground with purpose.

"I don't particularly like you. You meddle into things you can't understand, and you use wealth to solve problems because you think it's the only way. Your sister, however, is quite the opposite. _She_ understands that sometimes there are other people who have plans and ideas that are more important than herself, and accommodates for that."

She let her breath out slowly, keeping her cool and keeping tally on the man's location. She could strike at any moment, but this was just more satisfying.

"And I wonder what plans might have needed to be accommodated for? Involving me and _my fiance._ Do you have the capacity to understand that?"

She knew _exactly_ what he was talking about. His stupid wedding. Her sister had expressed her understanding of the entire situation, and expressed how things can be pushed back when necessary if and when extraneous circumstances arose.

"I don't know why I am here to help you, and frankly, I don't want to help you. If I don't know why I'm here, I'm really just wasting my wednesday, aren't I?"

It would be easy to silence the man. A quick sweep to the legs, a short charge forward, and a swipe to the throat would stop him from piling on the abusive comments. Sure, he was a trained Huntsman, but he was also getting on forty-three years old, meaning he would be suffering the beginnings of 'getting old'. Especially given his attitude of 'being too old for this shit'. She was certain that being much younger, spryer, and more recently practiced would lend itself to her advantage, should she decided to strike.

"But I was given no choice. Either help you or sleep on the couch, two things I really didn't want to do. Because when I asked _why_ I needed to help I was met with anger and a 'do you not trust me' speech, like I was some kind of common thug."

He stopped pacing in front of her, facing in and leaning his tall, skinny body her way.

"So I'm gonna ask you one more time." he paused for effect. "Why do _you_ think I'm unhappy in this predicament?"

Weiss stood slowly, keeping her guard carefully monitored in case he decided to attack. She levelled a gaze at him, speaking calmly.

"I suspect because I put my hands all over your niece."

He seemed to shiver.

"You did _what?"_

"Ruby and I traded sexual favours with one another, and might I say she enjoyed it thoroughly."

He drew his sword off his back and slammed the pointy end into the dirt. Weiss was quicker, pulling out the serrated dagger and pulling herself into a combative stance, ready to block. He didn't advance, merely standing in place and staring at the shimmering glyph she had formed behind her back.

"If you think Winter's fast, old man, you have no idea what's coming for you."

"That's impossible, nobody is faster than the Ice Queen."

"Need I remind you that is also _my_ nickname, Qrow?"

"I don't need any of your childish attitude."

She smirked, throwing him off for a moment.

"Do you think that Winter will be impressed to hear what you are saying about her poor, precious little baby sister, or do you think she might react negatively?"

"Who's to say, only the two of us are up here. What are you going to do about it?"

"Telling on you would be too easy. All I'd have to do would be to suggest postponing your wedding even further, and she wouldn't even bat an eye. I'm her favourite, old man."

He scoffed, spitting into the dirt. What a rude and unsanitary gesture that was.

"I don't need to be her favourite. I just need an explanation why I have to train _you_ to use a scythe. What do you even know about using one? Anything?"

Weiss shrugged, but kept her knife drawn. Their standoff was a little silly, if she was honest.

"I know that they balance best at one quarter the distance down the shaft compared to the length of the blade, that the ideal point of rotation is over the back of the opposite hand, and that a fair training regime might involve work with hammers and axes since all the weight is at the end of the load arm."

He just stared at her. She continued.

"The inside of a scythe blade is the sharpened side, with the toe being used for stabbing while the beard being used for close-range chopping. The shape of the snath determines the style of blade to be used, a straight snath is typically a sharply curved blade, whereas a curved, ergonomic snath would typically use a flatter, wider blade. A posable chine makes for easy transition between traditional service scythe and the rarer, less user-friendly war scythe."

She watched his eyes narrow.

"The higher the foregrip along the snath means the instrument can be better handled one-handed by the user, provided they take into account the momentum and weight of the swing so it doesn't take their arm with it. Gravity is a scythe-user's best friend, since most scythes weigh in excess of sixty to seventy kilograms, often times more than the user themselves."

"So you can read a manual." he chastised. "Am I supposed to be impressed?"

She shrugged again. "That's up to you. But I can tell you from seeing yours unfolded that you fight with an ill-prepared and poorly designed scythe."

Another scoff.

"I take personal offense to that. Can you back that claim up with any proof?"

"I certainly can, hand over the weapon."

"Over my dead body."

"I'll fight you for it."

"You'll lose."

Weiss pursed her lips, keeping her tone sarcastic.

"I doubt it."

"You've only brought a flimsy knife from what I can see."

"I'll have you know this is sintered titanium-ceramic. Besides, you clearly weren't paying attention."

"To what?"

She smirked, flipping the knife into a forward grip in her left hand and reaching around to her back. The magnetic belt latch came free quite easily, and she pulled the long, thin box from behind her and held it by its handle in her right hand. He seemed to stare up and down at the fairly discrete looking white and unmarked box. It looked no more menacing that a flower box, just made out of white anodized aluminum instead of cardboard.

"To this."

She shoved the knife into a perfectly made slot on the wide side of the box and twisted. Immediately it split the box open and unfolded it , revealing the substantially large blade held within, letting it swing down and forward and locking into position. The hefty spring mechanism re-folded the box closed again and pushed out a long and smoothly polished steel handle out the opposite end, locking everything into place. The knife had become the forward grab handle of the large weapon, with a second one flipping up and locking solid a mere half moment later.

"...The hell is that thing?"

"A scythe. Of my own design. It's discrete, easy to conceal, and it unfolds in less than two seconds, something I can't say of your old clunky… thing that you insist to carry around. This is a modern, _practical_ scythe. And look, perfectly balanced."

She held out the weapon by the foregrip, letting it spin slowly in a large circle to prove how well engineered it was. She just gave her best, most dishonest smile from behind the polished white and silver scythe.

"It looks flimsy."

She let out a dry chuckle.

"Why, because it's lightweight?"

"How much _does_ it weigh?"

"Seven kilograms."

"Ha! You'll get slaughtered in combat with that thing!"

"It's titanium and carbon fibre. Expertly balanced. Instant access. And it doesn't make me slouch like a pouting teenager when stowed. I don't need a heavy weapon to do damage to you, just a good technique."

He nodded. "That's… a fair summation."

She spun the scythe so she could hold the back of the blade in her other hand, careful to not catch her thumb on the razor-sharp beard.

"And a good scythe only has one blade on one side of the snath, not two. Anything protruding out the other end only serves to unbalance the weapon and create a catching hazard. Wouldn't want to snag your own cape, now would you?"

"You're an arrogant little brat, aren't you?"

"Coming from you, mister 'dramatic circles of abuse'."

"...Touche."

"That's not a 'touche' moment, that's an actual insult."

A smile formed on his face. Apparently no one had really had the gall to stand up to him before, and this act of defiance was impressive enough to warrant the grin. He pulled his sword out of the dirt and dusted it off, cleaning the mud and gravel out of the blade's flutes. He slung it over his shoulder, running his hand through his hair.

"You've earned my trust, Schnee."

"You haven't earned mine. I still don't think you're good enough for my sister."

"And that's fine, I don't think you're good enough for my niece."

Weiss shrugged.

"I mean I could split the difference and fuck both of them if you wanted."

His eyes narrowed. His sword lowered.

"I take that back. You've lost it again."

"Good."

Qrow hit the release lever on his weapon, letting the cogged mechanism slowly unlock all the blade sections and separate them, all agonizingly slowly. Weiss rolled her eyes and twisted the knife, letting her new weapon fold itself shut and collapse into its case, holding it up by the little leather handle. She waited, impatiently watching the man's scythe slowly unfold and chunk its way into action. Just before the massive and slow weapon was fully unfolded, she stabbed her knife back into the box and twisted, opening her own scythe quickly enough to beat out Qrow and his.

"Okay, now you're just showing off."

"No, I'm demonstrating that not every weapon has to be theatrical. Sometimes they can be functional."

"Harbinger is a purposeful weapon."

" _Myrtenaster_ is a purposeful weapon. No moving parts to open up before use. That old thing is a death trap for you."

"Why _didn't_ you bring that little toothpick with you?"

"I could kill you now, you know. Wouldn't be any water of _my_ back."

"It was just a question, Schnee."

"I was told you'd be teaching me about how to use a scythe, it was unnecessary to bring Myrtenaster. Now, are you going to teach me, or do I have to attack you?"

He smirked, getting all cocky for a moment.

"Just tell me one thing…"

"Depends on what it is."

"Did you really…" his face scrunched up in anguish. "...'trade sexual favours'… with Ruby?"

"What's it to you?"

"It'll serve to clear my conscience and decide whether you get to leave this mountain with your head still attached."

The wind whistled between the two combatants for a moment, stirring the dusty ground around their boots. The polished and lethally sharp blade on her new scythe, which she had already christened _Glättenmähen,_ shone brightly in the sun's low light. His own massive weapon didn't, the tarnished and dirty blade looking like it was in desperate need of some tender love and care, and possibly an oil bath. She sighed and lowered her shoulders, looking away and into the distance of the valley.

"No, I have not. I got pretty close, though. I was hoping to just rile you up and get you to attack me so I could prove my mettle, but you didn't really react the way I had planned."

"How close is close?"

She looked at him, squinting.

"I'm not going to tell you, that's private. I just… didn't get very far with her. She closed up really quickly. She wasn't ready, and I respected that. I wasn't going to push her to do something she didn't want to, even if I really wanted to and thought I was ready. She wasn't. So I dropped it at that."

"Hmm."

"I don't know what else you expect me to say. Ruby was the love of my life, and I wanted her so badly, but she wasn't ready for that kind of action."

"I-I don't really want you to talk to me about this anymore, that's my niece you're referring to."

She lowered her scythe and let the tip touch the soil and huffed.

"Yeah, and your niece was my life partner, Qrow. She wanted to be my girlfriend, but then she ran away from me. She wasn't mentally prepared for a committed relationship due to past indiscretions that I said I wouldn't get into, yet here I am, almost letting myself talk about it."

"So why do you want me to teach you scythe-wielding?"

"Because someone has to pay for those indiscretions."

He nodded, scratching at the stubble on his chin.

"Who?"

"If I tell you, you'll go to jail for murder."

"Yes."

"So I can't."

"Does Winter know?"

"She does. So do a few people who are willing to help me."

"And why don't I? She's _my_ family."

"She's also mine, Qrow. None of us want you to take the fall for this. It's better if I'm the one who deals with this situation."

"Why you?"

Weiss sighed.

"Because god knows, I can pay my own bail if this all goes south. My career isn't on the line for this, my family isn't at risk, and if anyone's gonna jeopardize their life it should be me."

"You, huh?"

"Me. I love Ruby. I'm going to do what I must for her. _That_ is why you're teaching to use a scythe. So I can better understand her."

"I see,"

He nodded slowly, standing pensive with a loose grip on his weapon.

"I understand that you want to know about this situation. I hope you can understand why _I can't tell you."_

"No, I think I got it. I won't pry. Too much."

"Thank you."

The wind whistled by them once again. She was glad she had brought her coat, even if it was a style coat and not a warmth one. The white suede was pristine, and she hoped to keep it that way. Unfortunately there was no coat rack at the top of the mountain, meaning it would probably get dirty, and facing her tailor with a dirty coat would result in a swift kick in the chin. She watched Qrow slowly lower his sword, placing it gently down with the tip pointed into the soil.

"So… you wanna learn how to use a scythe, eh?"

"I've had _some_ practice. Not a whole lot."

"You seem to know your stuff, at least on the theoretical level."

"Well, you were right, I did a lot of reading. I had to in order to build this thing."

"I'm impressed by your craftsmanship. That looks like quite the impressive implement. You do all that yourself?"

"My brother works at an engineering firm as part of Atlas AG, he let me use his machine shop and helped out with sharpening the blade. Apparently he has some techniques past down by centuries of Vacuan monks that he wanted to try out."

"I see. And only seven kilograms total?"

"I did the whole thing up in SuperCAD first to see if it would all work, and we simulated the best materials to make it out of."

"... do you mind if I have a look?"

She gave him a warm smile.

"By all means."

She tossed the scythe his way. It floated through the air weightlessly, easily sailing over to him. She smirked as he caught it. She'd lied about the weight. Lied a lot, actually. As soon as the scythe's handle was in his grasp, it sank to the ground and _quickly,_ nearly pulling his arms off in the process.

" _Woah,_ fuck!"

The blade sank down in the ground about three quarters of its length. Weiss crossed her arms and grinned.

"Problem?"

"Sorry, did you say seven or _seventy_ kilos, this thing is so heavy!"

"No, it's not. It's lightweight. I don't know what you're talking about."

He examined the construction of the slender weapon, running his fingers down the side of the blade. He grimaced, looking back over at her.

"This is ceramic, how in the hell is it lightweight?"

"Oh, right, I forgot. It's only lightweight when I'm holding it."

She held up her hands, showing off the pair of fingerless black lycra gloves she was wearing. On the backs of the gloves was a series of silicone tubes running along where her tendons were, snaking down and into her sleeves and up her arms. They were all glowing the dull grey reminiscent of the potent and rare gravity dust. Weiss had never tried experimenting with gravity dust, but had seen Ruby use it a few times in her own weapon to make it easier to handle. She'd tried it at her brother's workshop and had accidentally lifted an entire car off the ground by using too much.

"The heck are those?"

"Dust amplifying gloves. This is the real thing I am proud of. Took me a while to perfect the circuitry, but it works now and makes that scythe weigh almost nothing."

"That's cheating."

"Turning into a bird is cheating."

"Well, but-"

"A small dog could kill you like that."

"Hey!"

"This is just a practical application of a good resource. It means I can use a weapon that weighs more than I do, and effectively. I can modulate the scythe's weight on the fly, so it's light when I'm moving and extra heavy when I'm attacking."

He paused a moment and finally wrenched the weapon out of the ground, holding it up in front of him.

"Is it possible to learn this power?"

"I can understand why you might want to. Your joints might be getting to the ends of their useful lives."

Qrow frowned.

"I'd be insulted if that wasn't true."

"It's not a difficult science to figure out. I managed to do this in a weekend, I'm sure you could do it as well. It's a good way to make a heavy weapon more manageable."

"Would it work on mine do you think?"

"Are you offering me your weapon?"

"It was just a question. No."

"Yes, it would still work. The gloves affect the hands, not the weapon itself."

He handed back her scythe, which she took with only two fingers just to show off. The scythe was heavy, unbelievably so, and on purpose. She grabbed around the snath with her left hand and tapped the button on the back of her wrist with her other, shutting off the gravity dust amplifier and letting the weapon return to its actual seventy kilogram weight in her arm. She winced as it nearly pulled her arm out of its socket, but powered through.

"Okay, prepare your stance."

"Yes, sir."

She lifted the weapon up and onto her shoulder, keeping a one-handed grip around the snath. Qrow grabbed his weapon and unlocked it, letting it unfold again very slowly, all the geared clockwork clicking loudly while the blade hinged and rotated into its curved shape.

"Sorry."

"Yeah, I'm okay waiting. It's fun to watch, actually."

"I see your point about weapons needing to be quick to open."

"There's a reason I like weapons that are either quick to open or permanently open."

"Yeah, I'm getting that now."

It finally opened all the way, clinking like a bell as the locks all set. He spun his weapon slowly and gracefully around in his hands twice, tucking the handle up and underneath his arm. He did the thing with his hair again. Weiss just rolled her eyes.

"Right. Let's begin."

"I've been waiting all day for you to say that."

/.../

Weiss charged, ignoring the pain in her torso from a particularly hard impact. She swung the weightless scythe in a large arc at the man's head, cracking the back of the snath against the handle of the large Harbinger. She tried again, slicing forward with the pointy end of Glättenmähen, keeping the foregrip in her fingers of her left hand only. She wanted to only use one hand for this weapon, keeping her right hand free for blocking.

"You're good, Schnee."

She spun the back of the snath around and made a jab at him with the empty end. It was deflected off the heavy blade of the bigger weapon, leaving her open for a brief moment. Qrow took this opportunity to swing the gigantic blade up and over his head and preparing to bring the pain down and onto her face. She didn't let him, planting the blade of her scythe into the ground and using it as a vaulting pole, sending both her feet into his stomach and knocking him backwards.

"I'm glad you think so."

All the wind was blasted out of him as he flew into the tree behind him. Weiss yanked her scythe out of the ground and launched herself forwards. There was no time to let him recoup. The blade of her weapon clashed into the handle of his, hooking the beard in behind and snagging the soft vinyl of the grip. She pulled with all her might on the weightless scythe, yanking the man off his feet and over her head, slamming his face into the ground. He bounced more than she had anticipated, sliding along the gravel. She winced, pulling her scythe back.

"Ooh, sorry, that looked like it hurt."

"Yeah… it did."

He pushed himself to his feet slowly, gravel in his face. _In_ his face. Weiss grimaced, approaching slowly.

"Was that too hard?"

"No no, it's fine. You did what I said to do, grab with the blade and disarm. I just forgot to let go."

"Sorry."

"It's fine, it's fine. I just have bad luck sometimes."

"And sometimes you have rocks in your beard."

A soft chuckle escaped the man as he got to his feet, folding his weapon back up to a sword. Much quicker than unfolding it, actually. Weiss smirked.

"You're quite the comedian. I wish your sister was as sharp as you."

"I like to whet my appetite sometimes. And she is quite funny."

"Sure, but she doesn't have as speedy as a response as you."

She shrugged.

"Fasted drawl in the west."

"Stop. Immediately."

"I cannot. I lived with your niece for four years. It's in my blood."

He sighed and resumed his position, pointing the end of his huge sword in her direction.

"Then I will have to remove her influence from you."

"Hey, I'm holding a scythe, I'm sure I can _cut it out_ myself."

There was a pause.

"Now I remember why I don't like you!"

He attacked, launching his sword at her. She deflected easily with the back of the blade, swashing the sword down and away. She slammed the back of her scythe into his chest again, knocking him back. It almost seemed… easy. Like he wasn't putting up much of a fight. The large blade of Harbinger _did_ pose at least an impact-based threat, for all the weight it had. She had to flip backwards out of the way as it came down at her, sharp side first. She reached for the blade, amplifier glove turned all the way up to the max, and grabbed at the pommel, easily removing it from his hands. She sent another well-placed kick to his chest, and separated the man from his sword.

"Jeez, will you _stop_ disarming me with your feet!"

"Sorry!"

She tossed the sword back again, nearly knocking him over with it. She apologized again.

"Look, I know your sister taught you to use force in combat."

"Of course she did, she's a soldier."

"But you're gonna break my ribs at this rate."

"I promise not to not kick you in the chest anymore."

"That's more like it."

The sword unfolded, clicking open again with the massive curved blade. He came at her in the air this time, scythe out and ready to slice. As the blade came down, she deflected it away and to her left with her own scythe, leaving his face and chest open again. This time, she sent her right fist at his face instead of her foot, the amplifier glove charged and glowing. Her knuckles collided with his cheekbone with a resounding crack, knocking his face backwards and carrying his body with it. She hooked the beard of her scythe against his, and once again separated the man from his weapon. His body his the dirt like a sack of potatoes.

"...Ow." he managed.

"I'm just doing what you said!"

"I know…" he groaned, rolling over onto his back. "Who the heck taught you to punch like that?"

"Uh, Sargent Winchester of the Atlas Special Forces."

"And he taught you to hit like a naval cannon."

"Sorry! I'm just… using all the lessons people have been giving me."

"Who else is training you?"

"Few other people. My sister for summoning, Sun Wukong for balance and agility, Captain Zedong for marksmanship, uh, Professor Fall for reaction training under duress, and you, for scythe wielding and disarmament."

Another groan as he sat upright. She carefully handed back his scythe to him.

"Maybe _I_ need to see these people, I'm clearly a little rusty. Or you're just that good that you can beat me, a trained Huntsman."

"Well, I _am_ learning from the best."

"Yeah, literally. Except for my ancient ass, apparently."

"You're not… ancient, Mister Branwen."

"I am getting old, though. Sorry if this training isn't exactly living up to your expectations."

Weiss shrugged, folding her scythe back up and pulling the knife out.

"I only know of two other people who use one. One of them is ninety-five and blind, and the other is Ruby. Not exactly like I have a choice on who to ask."

"Not sure if I should be offended by that."

"Well, I can't go to Ruby for help, and I feel like the old woman probably wants to be left alone in her age, certainly not to be disturbed by some prissy rich girl from Atlas. And you're a teacher, so who else should I really have gone to?"

He stood up, his joints cracking loudly.

"Maybe someone who's spine isn't made of soda crackers."

"Sorry."

"It's fine, kid. You're doing well. Do you want to keep going or break for lunch?"

"I didn't… bring any lunch."

He smirked and ran his hand through his hair. Again. He stood up and slung his scythe over his shoulders.

"How about this; if you can disarm me two more times, I'll buy us some burgers from the restaurant at the bottom of the mountain."

"Sounds like you're buying me lunch, old man. Evidence shows that I'm reasonably proficient and parting a fool from his weapon. Especially with these gloves."

"Alright, new rule. You can't use the gloves."

She nodded. "Alright, you have a deal. I'll swing the scythe full weight, and then you'll buy me lunch."

"We'll see."

She took off the gloves and bracers and handed them over. He pocketed them as she stepped back a respectable distance. Once more, she pulled out her knife and the the white aluminum case out and slid the two together.

"Ready to lose, old man? Because I'm about ready for my burger."

"Do rich girls like you even _like_ cheeseburgers? Aren't they too common and greasy?"

"Oh, I like burgers alright, Qrow. What I don't like is guys who want to get handsy with my sister."

He rolled his eyes with a smirk. "Whatever. Ice Queen."

She twisted the knife and unlocked the scythe, once again unfolding it instantaneously. He still hadn't lowered his weapon to a fighting stance, keeping his scythe slun lazily over his shoulders and his hips cocked like he was still a young Huntsman and not an aging middle school teacher. She sneered, keeping the now-heavy weapon in a proper two-handed grip.

"I hope your wallet is prepared."

"Hit me with your best shot."

"Okay."

She lunged at him, swinging the lithe scythe in a wide, devastating arc. He didn't move as she approached. Odd. She landed well within his guard circle and swathed at him, aiming right for his neck. He would have to dodge this. But he didn't move.

"Shit!"

She tried to stop the swing just before decapitating him, but couldn't. Without the gloves on, all the momentum of the ceramic-titanium blade carried itself around and through her target. She shut her eyes, realizing there wasn't anything she could do. She'd just willingly attacked the man with a deadly weapon. Hopefully his compromised aura would save him from certain doom.

 _Sorry, Winter_

There was a fluttering sound as her scythe passed through dead air, causing her to over rotate and fall, landing the point of her scythe into the dirt. She paused, opening her eyes and expecting to see a body with no head and a dumb head with no body and a smirk on his face. This was not what she saw, however. Where Qrow had been standing was only a pile of black feathers. She blinked dumbly for a moment, looking around for her teacher. Instead of finding Qrow, however, she found only a large black bird staring down at her from a high branch in the nearest tree. Grinning down at her, actually.

"Oh, you bastard."

The bird winked and took flight, flapping away down the trail to the base of the mountain. Weiss huffed and yanked her scythe out of the ground, sprinting off behind it.

"Don't think you're getting away that easy, Branwen!"

The bird squawked back at her in defiance.

/.../

Never before had Weiss been _this_ anxious looking at the little bungalow at 1901 East 51st Street, in Anfang. She'd been to this house hundreds of times. It was basically a second home to her. She _loved_ the quaint little house, and she especially loved the girl who lived in it. But her intel for today was that the house was very much empty, and would stay that way for a while longer. She wasn't a fan of breaking in to anything, let alone her best friend's house. So there she sat, in the comfortable leather bucket seat of the recently-repaired Klasse-7 GT-Spec she'd trashed in a drunken rage with on hand on the steering wheel and the other rested gently on top of the gear lever.

"Fuck…"

She looked around again. Nobody was out in the street today, not with the dusting of snow that was falling from the sky. She hated driving in the snow, and especially hated driving in the _traffic_ in the snow in Anfang. She would prefer to be in actual Hell than in traffic in her hometown. The route she usually took to work was almost entirely made up of Autobahn routes where she could stretch the Klasse-7's very long legs on a daily basis. How Ruby ever put up with inner city bullshit, she would never know. Maybe that girl had the patience of a saint.

Speaking of, in the driveway of the little house sat _the_ truck. Ruby's truck. The _actual_ Blaze-Charger she had spent four days cooped up in with Ruby herself as they drove across the continent to see Pyrrha in her final hours. It seemed… neglected. Sad. Despondent. Lonely. She winced, not liking how abandoned the poor truck appeared. It was covered in a thick layer of snow, having been left by itself for getting on a month and a half now. She frowned at the big red brick. It was unfortunate.

She shivered and pressed her finger into her car's starter button, silencing the burbling turbo engine. She sighed, grabbing for the sleek aluminum door handle and elbowing the door open. The snowy road crunched under her boots as she got out, loudly scrunching as she made her way around to the back of her car. She clicked the trunk button on her keyfob twice, unlatching the long and swooping rear hatch and watching it rise automatically. She reached into the deep trunk and grabbed her duffle bag, slinging it over her shoulder. She reached up to the lip of the rear hatch and pressed the little square plastic button that sat inside, hearing the little dull _beep_ and watching the hatch slowly descend. She turned back to the house and started up the driveway.

The air in Anfang this time of year was frigid. Daytime temperatures rarely exceeded zero, and nighttimes dropped to an abysmal minus thirty-five most nights. She was endlessly thankful for central heating and the fifteen fireplaces set around Schnee manor. She took another look at the aging Blaze-Charger in the driveway as she passed it, catching her reflection in the back of the chrome door mirror. She avoided eye contact.

The climb up the three concrete steps to the front door was taxing on her legs. The very bright red front door stood out like a sore thumb. The _only_ red front door on the entire street. She almost reached out and rang the doorbell out of habit. It was the thing she did _every_ time she approached this particular door. She balled up a fist all of two inches from the dimly lit button, her lips pursed shut. She dove into her own pocket and grabbed the device that Blake had lent her. The bulky black cylindrical object was certainly oddly shaped, but purely functional. She pulled it out, and pressed the business end to the door's lock tumbler and clicked the button on the side. The device whirred for a moment, making a loud _click_ as it tried to torque sideways.

She pulled the device away from the door and reached for the door handle, gingerly pushing the latch down and pushing in on the door. It swung slowly open. She held back a small gasp. Obviously the device worked, a _police_ detective had provided it for her. But that didn't make what she was doing any less illegal. She pushed her way inside the little house and closed the door behind her, locking it with the deadbolt and chain lock. She set her bag down in the front entryway and smacked her hand into the light switch, filling the hall with light. The inside of Ruby's house was cold.

"Okay…"

She pulled off her coat and carefully hung it up on the rack behind the door and put her boots into the little plastic tray just inside the closet. She crept forward into the house, chilled by the cold air that cut through her AtlasU sweater. Just at the end of the hall at about shoulder-level was the thermostat, switched off. She reached out and set it to _heat,_ hearing the furnace in the laundry room turn on and start pumping warmth out of the floor vents. She turned the dial down to a more comfortable twenty-two instead of Ruby's preferred twenty-six and a half. Ruby liked her house warm, an issue she always had a problem with when visiting. Especially all the times when she had to wear tank tops and shorts in _december_ at the peak of cold season when visiting her best friend.

"Wait a minute."

She chuckled, crossing her arms. Perhaps there was a reason Ruby kept her house so hot. It was to get her into as little clothing as possible, obviously. Probably not, of course, as Ruby was a native of a much warmer country. How much was the poor girl paying in utilities, she wondered. Must have been a fortune. She shivered momentarily as she moved through the house to the kitchen, turning on the light in there as well. She frowned at the flower pot on the corner of the counter. The lily that was in it had wilted from the cold.

"C'mon, Ruby…"

The measuring cups were in the third drawer down next to the fridge. She grabbed one, filling it with water and fed the little lily nearly a full cup. It wasn't dead _yet_ but it looked to be very nearly. She hoped that the little bit of water would be enough. Somewhere in the kitchen was a packet of plant food, but she could never remember where it was. She pulled the fridge open and looked inside, blindsided by the sudden awful smell of not-safe milk in the door.

"Fuck, ugh, that's _horrendous."_

She grabbed the carton and held it _way_ out in front of her, and carried it over to the sink. She had to resist her own coughs as she poured it down the drain, the foul strawberry-smelling clumpy white liquid filling the room with its awful scent as it went down.

"Clean your fridge before you leave, you dolt. Ugh, that is _putrid."_

She tossed the empty carton into the blue plastic recycling bin by the back door, flattening it with her foot first. She sighed, putting her hands on her hips and looking around the dim, empty house. She sniffled, grabbing the box of cookies next to the microwave. They were a little stale, but still edible. She crunched her way through the chocolate chip cookie, putting the box back and strolling slowly through the little dining room to the dark living room. She rubbed her nose on her sleeve.

The dark grey corduroy couch sat alone, unoccupied. She looked down on it, seeing the familiarly indented cushion on the far left side of the couch. An empty curved glass sat on the edge of the little wood table just next to the couch, as well as the cracked black controller from her X-Station, damaged from years of being terrible at shooting games. Weiss stepped forward and sat down on the couch, directly in the indented spot. She let her shoulders relax and pressed her weight into the soft cushions and picked up the controller. She nodded a few times.

"Right. How does she…"

She put her right leg up on the coffee table in front of her, and tucked her left foot up on the couch and under her right thigh. She put all her weight over to her left elbow on the arm of the couch, twisting her body slightly to one side. She tried to match Ruby's odd grip on her controller, the way that her index finger curled over the buttons and directional pad. The awkward claw-grip certainly _felt_ like why Ruby was so bad a video games. She set the controller down again and sighed, looking around the room. All of the plastic game cases on the bookshelf in the corner were out of order and messy. Two of them were even open, game disks removed. She squinted, confused.

"But… the… only one disc at a time?"

She looked around for the second disk, on the assumption that one of them was in the machine. It was nowhere to be found.

"Come _on_ , Ruby. Put away your stuff. This place is a mess."

She stood up from the couch, trying to match the way that Ruby would only use one one hand to push herself up from sitting. She grabbed the glass and carried it back over to the kitchen, placing it purposefully in the empty dishwasher. She turned back to the house, trying her best to stand and stare at her coat down the hall the way Ruby might, her hips pushed a little forward and her knees locked.

She'd been doing her best to replicate Ruby's mannerisms and body movements, from the way she got into and out of her car one leg at a time instead of butt-first, legs second, and how Ruby would eat pizza by only biting and chewing with the left side of her mouth. The hardest one to get so far was the way she would look at her phone by pulling it out upside down, spin it around between her thumb and middle fingers, look down at it for a moment, then tilt her head all of ten degrees to the right. She'd spent a few _days_ watching the security tapes in the Schnee Manor to see how she moved on a fundamental level. She even had to modify the way she put on and took off her shoes, using her toes and force to remove them and leaving them loosely untied instead of using a shoehorn. They way she walked was hard for her to replicate as well, as Ruby had a way of dragging her left heel and keeping her right foot just a little bit turned out from hurting her hip in first year at Beacon.

She Ruby-walked back over to her bag at the front door, picking it up and carrying it back through the house and placing it loudly on the table. Out came a small plastic bag from the drugstore with a few small bottles of product in it, and a brand-new black bath towel. She grabbed the hair product and picked it up, turning it over to read the instructions. She idly read through it as she grabbed the bag again, carrying it all to the bedroom on the right side of the hallway. She pushed her way in.

" _Oh!_ Ruby…"

She knew her friend lived alone and probably kept her room messy, but this was ridiculous. There were clothes _everywhere,_ all over every surface and covering every square inch of floor. She couldn't bring herself to feel disgusted, however. Because she knew exactly why Ruby's room and house had this depressive air to it. And the fact she was in this house was to confront that very reason for the deep depression. She sighed and carefully padded her way through the room, careful to not step on anything that may be hiding under the layer of discarded clothing. Like a fork.

"Fuck, Ruby. Do you just get home after work and _detonate_ your clothes off?"

That sounded hot, actually. Especially if it was Ruby. She shivered, pushing her way into the en suite bathroom and closing the door quietly. She set the hair products into the sink and looked for the mirror. Because it apparently didn't exist in this bathroom. The sink vanity didn't have a mirror above it, and there didn't seem to be one on any of the walls. _Odd,_ she thought, doing another once over of the room. She frowned and rubbed her eyes. There had to be one _somewhere_ in the house. She poked her head back into Ruby's bedroom and looked around.

"Ah, excellent."

There was a full-length one next to the bed, with three or four coats draped over it and covering the surface. She stepped carefully over and through the bedlam and tossed the coats onto her bed and picked up the mirror. She carried it back to the bathroom, pushing the door open and shut with her foot. She put the mirror down next to the sink vanity, and put her hands on her hips and looked at herself in it.

"Right. Suppose I should get started."

She reached for the plastic bag of product and pulled out the three bottles. One was bleach, one was deep brown dye, and one was blood red dye. She shivered, staring at the warning labels quite diligently. The bleach especially claimed it would do detrimental damage to her head.

"Woah… no turning back, I guess."

/.../

She winced as the steaming hot water from the shower head nearly boiled her scalp. The instructions had said 'rinse with hot water', and that was exactly what she was using. She scrubbed her head painfully to work the bleach into and out of her hair, the rubber gloves slipping around loosely on her fingers.

"C'mon, you stupid…"

She didn't necessarily need to bleach her hair for this, since it was already silvery-white, she just wanted to make sure she started with an absolutely clean slate. Once she _finally_ saw that no more bleach was coming out of her hair, she reached over and shut the tap off, leaving the shower head hanging freely on its hose. She grabbed her towel and vigorously scrubbed her head, soaking it through and getting whatever remnant of bleach out of it. The towel was severely ruined at this point, the dark black fabric having become a stained white in places. Geez, if this was what it was doing to polyester, what the hell was it doing to her hair? She flipped her hair back and sat up, shaking out the remaining moisture. A look to the mirror.

"Ooh, that's new."

The perfect ivory white had faded to a yellowish-platinum colour, almost like a sun-bleached blond. She nodded, content with her efforts at the moment.

"Not bad, Weiss, not bad. We could certainly have done worse."

The short, fluffy blond hair almost suited her, she thought. It was almost a shame to have to go and dye it a dark colour. She understood that within three weeks of application, she'd have a stripe of white hair down the middle of her scalp as her natural hair colour returned, but she only needed the new colour for a week, tops. And even then, probably only for an hour.

"Right, on to the fun part."

She looked down to her t-shirt, which was one of her brother's old company work shirts. The collar was completely tattered with bleach stains that would most certainly not come out, but she didn't care. This was the end for this shirt anyways. She did a quick check down the collar to make sure none of the bleach had ruined her bra, only to find that it had indeed leaked through to the pink straps and turned them an ugly white.

"Aw, shit. Man, I liked this one."

She ignored it for the time being and wrapped the towel around her shoulders and secured it in place with a pair of safety pins. She grabbed a brush out of her bag and got up, swinging her legs over the edge of the tub and sitting down with her feet next to the drain. Her hair was a mess of tangles after the head assault from the towel, but she managed to pull them all out without too much wincing and biting of her tongue. Now it was time for the actual fun part. If she could call it that. She sighed, mentally preparing for how different she was about to look.

The instructions recommended to apply petroleum jelly or lip balm around the skin along her hair line to make it easier to wash dye off when she was done, so she had brought along a little blue bottle of 'personal lubricant' from the drugstore for just that purpose. It did feel a _little_ weird to be rubbing the stuff along her forehead and around her ears, but it was for the greater good of her skin. She sighed to herself, setting the bottle down and continuing to massage her temples with jelly.

She grabbed the dye kit and ripped it open, spilling the contents into the tub. She picked up the little plastic bowl and bottles, setting them all down next to her on the side of the tub. She grabbed her gloves again and slipped them on, unscrewing the top of the dye bottle and pouring all of it into the plastic bowl. In next went the tiny package of developer goo. She mixed it with a paintbrush for a minute or so until the colour in the bowl was a deep brown, almost black goo with the consistency of yogurt. She held the bowl and paintbrush in her hands, catching sight of herself in the mirror across the bathroom.

"Right. And now for the second most drastic thing you've ever done with your hair."

She started to brush in the colour.

/.../

The box had recommended no more than forty-five minutes to let the ink set, and had even provided a shower cap for her to use to cover her hair and not let anything touch it. She'd decided to borrow Ruby's dark black bathrobe and make herself some lunch while it set, having turned the TV on to the saturday cartoon channel just for background noise. She'd made some cheap canned raviolis that she'd found in the cupboard still within their due date, and mixed in a dash of chili sauce for added zing. Ruby's weird microwave was difficult to learn to use with its odd capacitive touch dial instead of a more traditional button pad for setting the cook time.

Weiss once again found herself on Ruby's couch, sat exactly the way Ruby would with one foot up and the other tucked beneath her, watching the fairly dumb show. She knew Ruby liked her saturday cartoons, and by golly if she had time to watch them, Weiss was sure she'd like them too. The show that seemed to be on re-run this day was a quaint little Vacuan program about a devil from another world visiting the lush metropolitan city of Feldspar and attempting to interlude with the human population by becoming a part-time employee of a local fast food chain. The plot was okay, the girls had large breasts, and the hero seemed all-powerful and without competent enemies, so it was good enough to watch a few episodes without getting attached.

"Ow… fuff…"

She tried to not burn herself on the piping hot raviolis. Her only solace was a glass of apple juice that had a bit of a sharpness to it. Granny Smith apple juice tended to do that if left undrank in the refrigerator for a long period of time. It wasn't going bad, or anything, it was just getting sharp.

The timer on her phone went off just as she was scraping out the last remaining pasta hot-pocket and shoveling it into her face. She quickly drowned the apple juice and returned everything to the kitchen, putting her dishes neatly away in the dishwasher. Like she knew she should. With another dash back through Ruby's bedroom and into the en suite, she found herself back in front of the mirror, ready for the last step in the process. She tossed the bathrobe sort of _at_ the hook on the back of the door, managing to stick it in place in one shot. The shower started with a rush of hot water as she reached for the hem of her borrowed shirt.

"Wait. I can't take this off without disturbing my hair."

She looked at herself in the mirror for a moment. An idea came to her. She formed a quick glyph in her hand and summoned herself a small dagger made of crystal clear ice.

"Sorry, Whitley. You weren't getting this back anyway."

With a smooth slice, the blade cut through the fabric and separated it like a button-up, ripping cleanly from the collar to the hem. She tossed the knife into the tub to melt, stripping off the destroyed shirt and tossing it into the sink. Her bra came off next, tossed into the sink along with the shirt, leaving her nude from the waist up. She wasted no time kicking off her pants and socks, doing a quick check of the temperature in the shower. It was hot, but not too bad. The instructions recommended warm water for the dye instead of hot, as that kept the dye from just degrading and coming out again. She turned the tap down a hair to make sure it wouldn't burn her when she got in and stepped out of her underwear.

"Right, where did I…"

She grabbed the dye box from the edge of the sink and stepped into the shower with it, setting it down on the little ledge next to Ruby's toothbrush. She smirked. Perhaps her lecture about brushing one's teeth in the shower had gotten through to the girl. It was an excellent way to cut five minutes out of a boring morning schedule.

"And off you go!"

She pulled the shower cap off and tossed it to the floor of the tub next to the half-melted knife. The bottom of the tub started to go a deep black with the ink that had rubbed off in the cap. She did another quick check of the instructions, endlessly glad she hadn't tossed the box out. It recommended a rinse, followed by a shampoo and conditioning with their brand of 'purple' conditioner. Which, as luck would have it, was the kind of conditioner Ruby kept on hand.

"Aw _shit."_

She scrunched her eyes up as some of the water poured over her head and into her face, stinging badly from the dye. The package promised it was non-toxic but she didn't buy it. Nothing advertised as non-toxic should ever sting this much. She scrubbed the shampoo into her head, keeping her eyes firmly shut to not get any more ink into her eyes and make them any redder. It was a painful ordeal, all this scrubbing. Even once the conditioner was in and sitting did she not stop scrubbing. The bottom of the tub looked like the scene out of the movie _Psycho_ from all the dye running down into the drain. After a few minutes of scrubbing , no more of the dye had come out and only clean shampoo was coming out of her hair. In went the conditioner, Ruby's favourite brand of purple conditioner.

She hummed to herself for a moment and let the water run off her body and into the drain. It was soothing, from all the abuse her body had taken in the last month. Her aura notwithstanding, she'd suffered broken bones, shattered cartilage in her nose, and burst her appendix during hand to hand combat training. She was beat. But at this point, it was all worth it. One week remained until the summation of her efforts could come through, and she was certain she'd have no body left to use at the end of it all. She sighed and rubbed at her triceps, still stinging from her recent fight with her sister's fiance. Why did every kind of fighting require pain? Why couldn't people just sort out their differences with words and good communication? If that were the case, there wouldn't be any war, any subjugation, any racism. Everything would be within reach and reason for everyone.

She sighed and scrubbed out the conditioner. It too went down the drain cleanly, meaning the colour had set in her hair and was ready to use. She killed the shower and reached through the curtain for her towel, pulling it off the top of the toilet and into the shower with her. It was about to know the meaning of _ruined_ as she began to towel off her head. Whatever remained of the goo still in her hair was now in the towel, but since it was a black towel it wasn't going to show. She wrapped the towel around her chest and stepped out. The mirror was completely steamed up at this point, but that was fine. She took a seat on the edge of the tub for a moment, drying off the rest of her body.

The box of blood red dip-dye sat tantalizingly within reach. She shivered. Everybody knew that the colour in Ruby's hair was fake. The red tips she usually kept were courtesy of drugstore-quality dye products that her sister used to help her put in, usually once every two months or so when it started to fade. She smiled at the box, remembering a time when Coco Adel of all people asked Ruby if the colour was natural. Weiss had been almost in shock at the comment. The most fashionable person at Beacon, thinking dyed ends were natural? Absurd. She reached out and opened the box, pulling out the small tub of product inside. The instructions claimed this to be the easy part.

"Hey, if Ruby and Yang can do it, so can I."

/.../

Another hour of ink setting, and _another_ shower to wash the excess ink out. The weirdest part was using aluminum baking foil to cover the very ends of her hair to hold the colour in. Her arm had cramped after an hour of holding a blow dryer to the foil wrappings and making sure they were kept warm and moist. It was a pain, all this work. The kind of person who spent this much effort either keeping their hair coloured or recolouring their hair often must have been absolutely mental. She remembered a girl she went to Atlas Prep with, who had a different colour of hair every like, every three weeks. Her name was Ramona or something, she couldn't quite remember. And that wasn't just dipped ends either, that was a full colour and style change every three weeks. It must have been hell.

By the time she had gotten out of the shower a second time and towelled off _again,_ she felt she was pretty much done with this whole ordeal. She stood nude before the fogged mirror, towel and foil wrappings in the sink along with both destroyed packages of hair dye and the empty bottle of bleach. Her finger went through her hair like it was silk, coming out clean and without any residue. She'd done a fine job indeed.

"Now, makeup I guess."

She reached for the mirror and rubbed the fog off of it with her palm, reaching for the bag of concealer and face putty she'd bought at a costume and cosplay store downtown. Although she was swiftly distracted by her own reflection.

"Woah!"

She paused, frozen. For a moment, she genuinely believed that Ruby was standing in the room and looking at her, albeit completely naked. After a beat, she realized that the image of Ruby wasn't actually Ruby but _herself,_ reflected in the mirror. She squinted and approached.

"Oh my fucking god, I'm Ruby."

She turned her head slightly to check the colour fade of the red into the dark brown locks. It was exact. It was picture perfect. Aside from the blue eyes and garish facial scar, the reflection in the mirror was _exactly_ of her best friend, right down to the sculpted bodywork as well.

"My, oh my. I am _sexy."_

She turned slightly and flexed her bicep, watching the arm in the reflection bulge out and ripple with strength, a good three hundred percent thicker than it had been a little while ago. She did the same on the other arm, posing like an anime protagonist and flexing. She didn't even realize that she _had_ such defined pectoral muscles, but apparently she had individual control of them, bouncing each of her breasts at a time.

"Swiss _fucking_ cheese, thank you, Nora."

The unfathomably strenuous workout routine provided by Nora and modified by her sister had done absolute wonders for her figure. Her shoulders had broadened out with muscle, her legs and arms now resembled those of olympic gods. In fact, the only thing, or rather _things_ that distinguished her from her best friend was that Ruby was noticeably chesty-er than she was, and had slightly wider hips. From all the pictures she'd seen, Weiss had long since concluded that the Xiao-Long children got their genes from their father, and not either of their mothers. So mildly skinny hips aside, there was almost no mistaking her for Ruby. It was actually a little scary.

"Hohhh-oly shit. If I had been like this at Beacon…"

She trailed off, wincing and reaching for the makeup again.

"I hope Ruby likes fit girls like I do."

She opened the lid of the face putty and sat down in front of the mirror and started to apply it, filling in the valley of scar than ran down her left eye. This putty was supposed to be for _making_ scars on your face for cosplay, not filling them in. But she'd asked the clerk working at the store if it could be used for such a purpose and received an enthusiastic 'yes' and an insistence that she be told what character Weiss was cosplaying. She lied and claimed the hero from the third installment of _Knight's Brigade,_ a young boy by the name of Archie Stronghold, but the clerk didn't need to know the actual reason. So with the clerk's blessing, she'd bought the putty and some heavy-duty concealer specifically for costume use.

Because if she was honest, that's what she was doing. Wearing a costume. An incredibly _realistic_ costume, but a costume nonetheless. The putty was difficult to get to adhere to her skin, and was making her unbelievably itchy around her eye. She wasn't having an allergic reaction, it was just that the putty had the consistency of wood glue and felt like it was getting inside all of her pores and filling them up with hate and suffering. She endured, pasting her face with putty until the scar was completely vanished from her face and replaced by the smooth curves of the putty. She painted over the whole deal with a layer of concealer, smoothing out the contours of her face so they more closely matched the soft curves of Ruby's almost juvenile facial features. She smirked at her reflection. Ruby might have been kinda juvenile, but _damn_ was she cute.

"I need more pink. Where's the goddamn pink?"

She dug through the makeup bag, another borrowed item from her brother, and found the bottle of foundation that most closely resembled the pinkish hue that Ruby had in her cheeks. She squeezed a decent amount onto her applicator brush and started to rub it into her face, being careful to avoid the hair. Within moments, the colour of her skin almost perfectly matched Ruby's, and it was _spooky._

"Okay, this is most definitely weird."

The last thing in the bag was a pair of contact lenses. She grabbed them out, carefully opening the little plastic vials. She stuck her finger into the solution and pulled out the little hydrogel film disk with the very end of her finger. She was careful to not squish it as these contacts had cost a _fortune_ since they were both prescription _and_ coloured. She sighed, and put them in. Putting contacts in was easy for her, since she did it almost every day since she was fourteen, but she still didn't like it very much. It still kinda hurt. She blinked away the pain and let the lenses settle in her eyes and sit correctly over her irises. She now had silver eyes.

"Well, that does it. Transformation complete, I suppose. I am now Ruby Rose. _Holy shit."_

The person in the mirror was Ruby, through and through.

"Right. One last thing."

She stepped out of the bathroom, leaving the fan on to suck out the rest of the moisture and stepped back into the bedroom. Somewhere in this mess was the outfit she was looking for, a very specific and at this point very _old_ one at that. She slipped over to the closet and pulled it open, having to kick a load of laundry out of the way of the swinging door. She dug around for a moment until she found the old thing, hanging in the very back of the rack and out of sight. She pulled it out, and by the amount of dust that was covering it, concluded that this was the first time it had been out of that closet in likely five years. She gave it a quick dusting before tossing it on the bed. She did another quick dig through the nearby dresser for a suitable pair of black lycra boyshorts, pulling them on over her legs and snugging them up on her waist. There happened to be a black and red bra discarded at her feet by sheer chance, and she bent down to pick it up. As luck would have it, it was an older one from before Ruby had… blossomed and would actually fit her. Plus, it matched the old outfit.

She pulled it on and did up the front clasp, making sure she was settled in the old thing just right and wouldn't experience total boob-spillage, and reached into the open sock drawer for a pair of stockings and slid them on as well. Finally, she grabbed the old black and red combat skirt and pulled the whole thing down over her head and slid her arm out through the sleeves. She gasped as the built in corset tried to crush her ribcage. It was actually too tight.

"Oh my goodness _how?!"_

She managed to loosen the ribbons on the front and back quickly, gasping for breath as the skirt loosened and gave her real room to breathe. She frowned down at the old combat skirt. It was actually now the correct size for her. Almost like it had been made with thicker, more muscular arms in mind. The skirt's upper portion hugged her torso quite nicely, not being too compressed around the shoulders like she thought it might, and snugging up against her waist just so. She pulled the corset ribbons taught but not tight, so that the skirt would stay in place but not crush her ribcage into fine powder. Lucky for her, the old buckle-centric knee boots that Ruby used to wear were sitting under the dresser. It was a stretch to get them, but she managed, yanking them free and slipping them on.

She made her way back into the bathroom and nearly fell over when she saw her reflection. Because looking back at her, as clear as any picture, was exactly the girl she'd met in the Beacon courtyard nine years prior and subsequently blown up with a few broken vials of volatile dust.

"Oh my god."

It was perfect. The boots, the combat skirt, the unused gunpowder rounds in the belt-bandolier around the waist. The hair, the eyes. It was Ruby. And it was eire.

"One more thing, then we're done. Oh gosh, I hope she left it…"

She left the bathroom, stepping back through the messy bedroom and into the hallway, turning a sharp right and scurrying to the door. Just to the left of the door was the little bowl of keys that Ruby kept handy, and in that mess of metal was the keys she needed so badly. And down at the bottom, she found them, the large, silver key on its single keyring. She pushed the door open and hopped outside, stepping carefully down the snowy front steps and into the driveway.

"Hello, beautiful. I missed you."

She approached the old truck with caution. It was Ruby's truck. Her rusty, creaky, dilapidated pride and joy, an ancient forty-year-old relic from the era of cheap gas and no emissions regulations. But it was more than that, infinitely more than just a big square brick of a truck. It was an experience, a life goal, and a friend. It was in this very truck that she had discovered her proper, visceral love for Ruby Rose and had decided she wanted to show that off to the world. It was in this truck that she had finally admitted to herself that this was who she was.

Weiss was a girl in love, and in love with a girl. And that girl was Ruby. Here she was, prepared to do something stupid and reckless to prove it.

She unlocked the truck, and pulled the driver's door open. It was a heck of a climb to get back into the driver's seat of the old truck, even with the factory-installed running boards. There just wasn't enough room between the board and the bodywork to slide the toe of 'her' boot in to use the step properly. She settled into the seat for a moment, feeling the soft red velour cushion her behind as she pulled the door shut with the ancient creak of the hinges. It was a familiar feeling. And a little part of her didn't like the feeling. She sniffled, scrunching up only half her face the way that Ruby did.

"I missed you, old pal."

She patted the thin wooden steering wheel gently, reaching out and resting her hand on the long column shifter. A sigh escaped her very slowly. She missed Ruby, too. She missed the feeling of the truck's lumpy engine, the feeling of how it carved through the snow like a well-sharpened blade, the feeling of the cushy seats as they crossed the continent together. She reached out slowly and slotted the key into the ignition cylinder and turned it all the way over. She just wanted to hear it again. The motor struggled for a moment lifelessly, the starter squealing like a stuck pig. Just like she remembered.

It took a second but eventually it bit, rumbling mercifully into life with the familiar sound of it's slightly off-idle gurgle. She shivered. It was exactly as she remembered, right down to the slight smell of coolant coming from the heater vents, a sure sign of minor, easily fixable damage. With another twist of the key, the engine went silent again, leaving her alone once more. Was this what it was like for Ruby? She gripped the wheel in her fingers, watching her knuckles go white.

"Right, right, I'm here for something, not my own self-detriment."

She spun around on the bench and reached under the back seat, fondling around for the pull handle. With a click, the bottom half of the seat sprung upwards and folded forward, resting against the back of the front bench. And lying there, in its black plastic case, was the infamous Crescent Rose, a relic of it's own time just like the truck. She flipped the latches and lifted the lid on the case, revealing the folded rifle and two replacement blades set neatly in the foam protectors.

"Ah, just like I remembered."

It was a bit of a struggle to get the big rifle out of the case and into her lap, but she got it out, taking the two empty magazines that were beneath it as well. This was the smallest size the rifle folded up to, and even still it was a little too big for her liking. The fancy new scythe she had built recently folded up much smaller than this, although to Ruby's credit Crescent Rose was two weapons combined into one, she could be excused for the bigger overall size.

"You're a heavy bastard, aren't you?"

Without her gloves, the rifle did weigh in at a substantial sixty-three kilograms, which was actually less than the lithe Glättenmähen at seventy-one. Crescent Rose was just a lot pointier and with much sharper edges. She turned and closed the case and flipped the seat back down, making sure it was properly latched so nobody became suspicious. With a hop down into the snow, she took her prized loot and slammed the truck's door closed, and turned back to the house.

Only to be interrupted by Ruby's elderly neighbour, an old man by the name of Erik Krönung.

"My goodness, Ruby, you're back already?"

Weiss froze, stolen rifle in her arms and found herself briefly without her voice.

"That's an outfit I haven't seen in a while. Bringing it back, are we?"

She stuttered for breath.

"Uhh…"

"I see your friend Weiss is over, isn't she? I saw her car pull in this morning."

He gestured behind her. She turned to look for a moment, seeing that yes indeed, her car was still sitting there next to the curb. A light dusting of snow had collected on the windshield.

"She…" she paused, remembering to scrunch up her larynx to produce the higher pitch of Ruby's vocal range. "... is inside, setting up the camera."

"Camera?"

She did her best 'Ruby chuckle', which eminated more from the higher part of her throat as opposed to her lungs.

"I just got back this morning from dad's house, and thought I'd give her a call to come visit. We got to talking about school and she asked me if I still had my combat skirt."

Man, Ruby's voice was hard to emulate. It seemed to have a grating effect on her vocal cords, something she hadn't experienced since taking singing lessons oh so many years ago.

"And clearly you still have it. It looks rather dashing."

"Thank you, sir, that's very kind. Weiss wanted some pictures of me in it, and I thought I'd grab this old thing to go along with it."

He smiled an honest, grandfather-y smile.

"Well, you kids have fun. It's good to see you back, dear."

"Thank you, sir. It's good to be back."

He turned and walked back into his house, closing his door with a soft click. As soon as it was closed, Weiss gasped and gripped for her throat, utterly shocked.

"Holy fuck, trial by fire, huh?"

She carefully massaged her trachea, realizing she'd probably end up ruining her voice. All for the bit, though. She scurried back into the house as quickly as possible, hoping to not get stopped by any more of Ruby's neighbours, thanking her lucky stars that she didn't. She dashed back into the bedroom and into the en suite. And once more she found herself in front of the mirror. She hardly recognized her reflection.

"I am Ruby Rose."

She blinked back at herself through eyes and a face that wasn't hers.

She smiled slowly.

"I _am_ Ruby Rose."

She nodded.

"And I'm coming for you."


End file.
